Apple links ads with new films to boost flagging fortunes
Apple is launching a series of ad campaigns which tie in with cinema films in an attempt to rejuvenate its brand image.
The company, which pioneered the desktop computer, will launch a 30-second ad on the back of the Tom Cruise movie Mission Impossible, to be released on July 5.
The film features the Apple 5300 PowerBook and the TV ads, to be shown on Channel 4, will cut in scenes from the film with shots of the product. The endline says: “You’ve seen the film, now buy the book.”
A month later, Apple will do a similar deal for PowerBook with sci-fi film Independence Day. Both ads will be imported from Apple’s US agency BBDO.
The company is also in negotiations with Disney to get a presence on its Hunchback of Notre Dame promotional train, which will roll through 63 cities and 12 European countries through the summer.
UK advertising and direct marketing manager Neil Holland says: “Apple will be a lot more active and will spend a lot on event advertising. In the second half of the year we will spend more on above and below-the-line promotions.”
The company recorded a 550m loss in the first quarter of this year and announced 2,800 redundancies.
Apple is in the process of halving the amount of products it makes, and licensing its technology to other manufacturers.
Apple has named Jan Gesmar-Larsen vice-president for sales and general manager Europe, and Bjorn Gustavsson as senior director for consumer markets and information appliances Europe.
