Apple and Long Copy
I'm a huge fan of long copy. It can be a wonderful thing to read (two of my favourites are Pentax and MI6). If done right, reading it just happens. There's a flow to it that carries you through it and when you do reach the end, which you will do if it's written well, you know exactly what you'd be getting into if you went ahead and bought/used/did whatever it is the copy's on about. It gives the freedom of details, attitude, brand, tone of voice - the works.
Apple's new ad has some long copy, but it's not like this. I don't want to read it. I don't really know what it's going on about other than its made up of some cool-sounding works strung together in generic sentences that describe...something. I'm not even sure I understand it.
As Nick Asbury, of Asbury & Asbury, says, "Possibly the most excruciating thing about the advert is that it contains its own damning critique, right here:
Who will this help?
Will it make life better?
Does this deserve to exist?"
In fact, Nick's post is so brilliant that I'm just going to tell you to read it. Whatever I write will just be a knock-off. The sort with people's heads bobbing into view.
Here it is. Do read it.