Apple has launched its new product, the MacBook Pro, with a promotion of the Intel chip in a Sci-Fi ambient TV spot featuring the voice of Kiefer Sutherland and the music of Moby. Titled ‘Factory’ the spot was launched at the San Francisco MacWorld by Steve Jobs.
The ad begins with the dazzling white floors of a computer assembly factory in which workers are dressed in white space suits. This has the feel of a surgical implant or IVF for computers carried out in a ‘clean room’. The voiceover, provided by Sutherland: “The Intel chip. For years it’s been trapped inside PCs, inside dull little boxes, dutifully performing dull little tasks, when it could have been doing so much more. Starting today the Intel chip will be set free and get to live life inside a Mac. Imagine the possibilities.”
Click on the image below to play the Apple Factory commercial.
Moby Soundtrack
“God moving over the face of the waters” was released as track 12 on Moby’s 1995 album, Everything is wrong, and also on the soundtrack of the 1995 movie, Heat. The track was played during the death of Robert De Niro’s character Neil McCauley. It is the last track on the album, Heat: Music from the Motion Picture. The title of the Moby track is a reference to Genesis chapter 1, verse 2, from the Hebrew Scriptures. “New Dawn Fades”, another Moby track, played as Pacino’s character Lt Vincent Hanna travels by helicopter.
Apple Intel Factory Credits
The Apple Intel Factory campaign was created by advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles, by worldwide creative director Lee Clow, creative directors Duncan Milner and Eric Grunbaum, associate creative director Alain Briere, copywriter Libby Hall, art director Drew Stalker, agency producer Jay Howard and assistant producer Serena Auroux, account supervisor Meghann Haven.
Filming was shot by directors Josh & Xander (Josh Melnick and Xander Charity) via Tight Films, Santa Monica, with producer Jonathon Ker, director of photography Bryan Newman, and editor Ben Longland. FX were produced at Hydraulx.
Postal Service Similarities
Pundits have raised eyebrows over the similarities between the Apple Intel ad and the Postal Service’s 2003 music video for “Such Great Heights”. The music video was also directed by Josh Melnick and Xander Charity. Both the Apple ‘Intel’ commercial and the Postal Service music video were filmed on location at a Skyworks factory. Postscript: Josh & Xander are now at Streetgang Films. They are represented in Canada by Circle Productions, who host the Apple ad in quicktime.
See our earlier post for more details on the Postal Service video. Here’s the two videos together, using the Moby soundtrack. Click on the image below to play the video.
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