Apple’s “Underdogs,” the motley crew of coworkers turned entrepreneurs, are back for another adventure. Ad Critic Anselmo Ramos, co-founder and creative chairman of Gut, reviews the latest chapter.
The best ads are not ads.
It’s not an ad, it’s a high-end workplace comedy. It’s not a commercial, it’s a short film. It’s not advertising, it’s a masterclass in brand storytelling. If only more clients could realize they have the power to become a content company.
There’s no such thing as too much love for craft.
It’s impossible to separate the execution from the idea. The execution is the idea. Too often, we tend to separate the two. The writing, the casting, the acting, the music, the editing, the art direction––there’s a lot of love behind every single element. It takes a lot of scripting to feel this unscripted.
Get back in the arena no matter what.
Consistency means sticking to the plan even when something goes wrong. After the previous Apple Underdogs “OOO” episode, which showed the team on a mission in Thailand, received backlash for stereotyping the country, Apple publicly apologized and removed it from its channels. Other clients could have stopped the series right there. Not Apple. They shook it off and got back on their feet.
A challenger once, a challenger forever.
In recent years, the roles of leader and challenger between Apple and Microsoft have shifted frequently. It’s refreshing to see Apple return to its glorious challenger days, like when they poked Microsoft with the classic “Get a Mac” campaign, with 66 highly entertaining ads over three years. We need more leaders with a challenger mindset.
It’s okay to have a seven if the platform is a 10.
Some people might think this particular “BSOD” Episode is not at the same level as the 2022 Cannes Lions Film Grand Prix “Escape from the Office.” So what? It’s still highly entertaining, and it has 30 million views on Apple’s YouTube channel. Even Breaking Bad had a “bad” episode. Remember S3E10 “The Fly” when basically nothing happens? As long as you have more highs than lows, you’ll be fine.
If a product demo can be a masterpiece, anything can.