Apple today posted a new iPhone 7 TV ad to its YouTube channel, playing up to the devices' camera features, stereo speakers, and water resistance in a black and white montage of dramatic metaphors and visual set pieces.
The 30-second commercial is barely lit, save for the flash of an iPhone camera lens, and shrouds glimpses of black-colored handsets in flickering low light against shadowy backdrops.
Opening with a nighttime shot of a forest and a close-up of an owl's pupils dilating in the darkness at the sight of a deer, the ad continues in a similar edgy vein, with a series of slick mirrored cut scenes representing the iPhone 7's doubled-up technological capabilities.
The advantages of the dual lens camera in the iPhone 7 Plus are suggested in a series of paired low-light images, just as the benefits of stereo separation are alluded to in a volley of explosive sounds and rapid channel transitions.
The abstract theme then takes on a more liquid texture as the viewer witnesses water droplets cascading over the silhouette of a handset, a liminal vision punctuated by a further salvo of volatile graphics and incendiary audio effects.
The ad marks somewhat of a departure for Apple, which typically adopts a more melodic, upbeat tone in its TV commercials. Besides the new features, the company is clearly playing up to the inclusion of Jet Black and matte Black handset color options, which have proved a popular choice during pre-order. First shipments are expected to arrive in just a couple of days, with Friday, September 16 being the official iPhone 7 launch date.
