Apple's rediscovered the fun in its advertising recently, from the animated Apple mini advert to the vibrant retro styling of the MacBook Neo and iPhone 17e ads. Its build up to next month's releases of the iPhone Duo is taking that further.
Over on TikTok, the tech giant's been making waves with a series of creative videos promoting its first foldable phone. Each one makes the device the star of a mini sketch that illustrates its versatility, and the wide range of customer it could suit. We see the iPhone Duo doing yoga, becoming the display in a portable miniature cinema and being used as a mini laptop in a cafe (complete with mini flat white). It even serves as the display case for an engagement ring.
The short sketches are a lot of fun, but it's also interesting to see that Apple feels the need to do so much explaining around the Duo. Its ads have traditionally been cinematic and aspirational: beautifully produced, with minimalist messaging. There's something about the Duo campaign's insistence that makes me think the company might have some doubt about buying intentions.
It's also been giving more previews through social media creators and influencers. Whereas the brand would normally set the narrative, the Duo campaign seems designed to get people talking about the product, not just admiring it.
That could be because in this niche, Apple is the challenger brand. Rivals like Samsung, Huawei and Honor have been selling foldables for years. Apple has to work to distinguish the Duo and convince people that its version was worth waiting for.
Let me know in the comments what you think of the campaign. The already released iPhone 18 Pro is the clear winner for photography, but has Apple managed to tempt you to consider a Duo?
