Apple’s new Chinese ad will make you cry whatever language you speak

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Chinese interest in Apple is at a boiling point. Photo: Apple
Hang on, I've just got some dust in my eye! Photo: Apple

One of the most interesting things about Apple’s continued expansion into China is going to be watching how it tweaks its marketing to target a country Tim Cook has claimed will soon be Apple’s biggest market.

Ahead of Chinese New Year on February 19, Apple has debuted a new ad in China, updating it’s warmly-received U.S. ad “The Song” for a new audience. Both ads tell the story of a young woman who uses a combination of their Mac and GarageBand to record a duet featuring their grandmother’s voice from the past.

As with virtually every ad Apple has ever put out, the message is less about technology for its own sake, and more to do with how it can be used to enhance the life of individual users.

You can check out and compare both versions of the ad after the jump:

You can watch Apple’s Chinese ad by clicking here. The U.S. version, on the other hand is embedded below. (You can also view an intriguing making-of video here, filling you in on some of Apple’s thought process in creating the ad concept.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRsPnzcZ1VY

Making location-appopriate versions of its current ad campaigns is nothing new for Apple. In the UK, for instance, Apple made the choice to replace Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake for its iPhone 6 commercials with the British double act of Chris O’Dowd and Richard Ayoade.

The Chinese ad comes at a triumphant team for Apple in terms of its Chinese expansion, however. Apple is currently in the process of opening a total of 25 new retail stores in China by the year 2016. To build buzz, Apple has also taken the step of commissioning giant murals for two of its flagship Apple Stores in China: showing off how Cupertino is trying to adapt its brand for a Chinese audience.

The effort seems to be paying off, as well. China was one of the major contributing factors to Apple’s recently-reported crazy, record-breaking growth quarter. Apple is now selling more iPhones in China than the U.S., too, while a new survey shows how Apple has shot to the top of luxury brand lists in the country.

Although a percentage of customers are no doubt drawn to Apple’s sunny Californian imagery, it’s definitely a smart idea for Apple to continue incorporating aspects of Chinese culture into its marketing: particularly as the country’s economy continues to swell.

Via: 9to5Mac

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