Apple has rolled out a slew of brand films in key Asia Pacific markets as the global tech giant seeks to overcome lagging sales and promote its latest iPhone 15 model.
The films, created by Apple’s dedicated agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab, are part of a strategy to address falling sales globally as the smartphone market declines.
APAC includes many of the most significant markets for smartphone sales, with high mobile penetration rates across the region.
In Australia, where smartphone penetration is around 85%, Apple has close to half the market (45%) share; however, Samsung is closing in on the market leader with a 31% share.
However, with mobile phone sales in strong decline at around – 11% last year, iPhone sales are estimated to have dropped around 4%, according to Gartner estimates in the Australian Financial Review.
To generate awareness and engagement around the iPhone 15 launch, TBWA\Media Arts Lab Sydney and production company Scoundrel created a local campaign starring Australia’s infamous magpie.
The ad, which premiered during the weekend’s Australian Open semi-finals, showcases the phone’s ceramic shield to protect the screen from breaking.
The launch coincides with the rollout of Lunar New Year films across the region led by key markets China and Vietnam.
China, the world’s largest smartphone market, is a significant battleground for Apple, where it faces heavy competition from Samsung as well as local brands such as Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Huawei.
To generate greater engagement for the brand, Apple has created an annual film to celebrate the Lunar New Year created by TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai.
The film, now in its seventh year, uses the ‘Shot on iPhone’ positioning, which aims to demonstrate the phone’s versatility beyond the usual phone features. This year’s film, “Little Garlic,” tells the story of a young girl battling with her insecurities and aims to send a timely message to China’s Gen Z population about resilience in overcoming uncertainty and insecurity.
The film, which was directed by Marc Webb and written by acclaimed writer Pan Yiran stars actress Fan Wei and will run across broadcast, digital and social media channels.
Apple also launched its first ‘Shot on iPhone’ film in Vietnam to celebrate the Tết Lunar New Year. The film, created by TBWA\Media Arts Lab APAC (Singapore + Vietnam), features a collaboration with rising rapper, singer-songwriter and dancer Tlinh and is a music video for a new song, “Don’t Make it Complicated”.
The video, which debuted on the weekend, has already attracted more than 7 million views. It was shot by Vietnamese-American filmmaker and director Bảo Nguyễn.
The film follows a story about finding the strength to overcome your inner struggles to welcome the Year of the Dragon.
Earlier this month, Apple won a primetime Emmy for Best Commercial for its global ad campaign“The Greatest” which showcased its accessibility features.
See also: Apple’s outstanding accessibility ad The Greatest wins primetime Emmy