Skillman Video Group’s Video of the Week: Apple

Welcome to Skillman Video Group’s Video of the Week, which has returned after a short hiatus. The purpose of the series is to examine what helps to make a successful marketing campaign. This week’s video is a commercial from Apple showcasing their recently launched iPad. For those who are unfamiliar with the product, the iPad is a large touch screen that allows users to surf the Internet, read books and listen to music.

Apple is known for having simple advertisements and this trend continues with their iPad commercial. The 30-second ad is a montage of various people using the iPad. Except for perhaps two seconds, the product is the focal point of the screen. The purpose of the advertisement is for viewers to see this new product, so Apple wastes little time on other visuals. The short and repeated use of the phrase “the iPad is…”  ingrains the idea that the iPad is indeed a lot of spectacular things—take your pick, one is bound to suit you. The repetitive phrase is an age-old practice and is still used for a reason—it drives the message into the viewer’s head. Fortunately for you, this technique can be used in almost any marketing video.

This commercial really works though because it shows the product in use. We can visualize what it would be like to own the product for a short period of time. The face of a user is never revealed. Doing so forces our attention to the product, which is central to this video and should be done in others by keeping the product the focus of the frame. Throughout the clip we see flashes of what the iPad has to offer: users reading The New York Times, playing games, watching a movie. This is a wonderful technique that could be applied to other product videos: show don’t tell. Take advantage of powerful medium that is video and bring your viewer into the world of your product.

Interested in developing a video to market your company? Contact Skillman Video Group to get started.