Apple Inc. (AAPL) launches new “Powerful” 90 second ad

Continuing to push the iPhone 5S even as the iPhone 6 looms ever nearer on the release schedule horizon, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) today released a new full-length, 90-second advertisement entitled “Powerful.” The ad can be viewed on Apple’s official YouTube channel (or watch it below), which currently hosts 40 other videos also.

The first half of the ad is basically a music video with iPhones strategically inserted, as the band “Pixies” plays the opening of their song “Gigantic.” The rattling crash of the opening drum riff is highlighted by various iPhone 5S screens glowing against a dim but mostly warm-toned background that simultaneously exudes comfort and modernity. The starting lyrics of “Gigantic, gigantic” are accompanied by the image of giant science fiction robots battling on an iPhone screen, perhaps meant to draw a parallel between these imaginary electronic titans and the consumer electronics in the viewer’s hand.

This introductory section takes up more than half of the 90 second video, and it is only at the 49-second mark that the viewer begins to see the iPhone in action. A series of scenarios are then depicted, all involving use of an iPhone. A kid in a Godzilla costume is filmed while trampling over a “city” made of wooden blocks, a pair of motorcyclists use an iPhone to translate a Spanish road sign warning of a collapsed bridge, a man working out checks his heart rate, and a group of model rocket enthusiasts launch their rockets with an iPhone signal. The spot ends with the message “You’re more powerful than you think,” and the inevitable Apple (AAPL) logo.

There is a certain amount of cognitive dissonance between the title and content of Apple’s new iPhone 5S ad. Being able to translate a road sign by holding up one’s smartphone in front of it, checking one’s heart rate, or launching a model rocket is undoubtedly intriguing, and highly useful as well. However, none of the activities shown are likely to make the user of an iPhone feel particularly powerful. Well-prepared, maybe, or tech-savvy, but there is hardly anything Herculean in filming a kid knocking over some toy blocks.

However, it is not the job of an advertisement to make complete sense to every viewer. The main purpose of an ad is to remain in the viewer’s mind. To this end, anything quirky, unusual, “cool,” humorous, offbeat, or even annoying is a success from the advertising agency’s viewpoint. A “failed” ad is not one that fails to make sense, but rather one that is forgettable, drab, or pedestrian.

Apple Inc’s (AAPL) “Powerful” ad is arguably quite memorable and stands out from the pack. The slight disconnect between the title and content is probably actually helpful in this regard, since it creates a slight conflict between the viewer’s expectations and the ad’s reality. This mild disharmony causes a mental “itch” that the viewer tries to scratch by reconciling the title and material of the ad spot. In short, it helps to keep the ad – and Apple’s iPhone 5S – in mind longer, which marks it as a success.