Earlier this week, Apple debuted its pricey $200-$300 Designed by Apple in California coffee table book — and, boy, has it already garnered a ton of publicity. Not all of it favorable.
In a fake ad which debuted on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Apple book is ridiculed for, well, basically being an insanely expensive book.
Check it out below.
While funny, the ad doesn’t really do anything that’s groundbreaking, of course. In fact, it basically repeats the beats of an IKEA ad from a couple of years ago, by describing the way that a book works as though it was cutting-edge technology. There is an amusing dig at the iPhone 7’s lack of headphone jack, though.
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By this point, Apple’s ads featuring Jony Ive talking sincerely about technology over a minimalist white backdrop have become instantly recognizable. In that way, this is more free PR for Apple — which is sure to sell a few more books as a result.
With that said, the book itself is the first time Apple has seemed to jump the shark when it comes to design pretension. As anyone who reads my “Today in Apple history” posts will know, I’m a huge sucker for Apple history, which should make me the perfect target audience for a book composed of pictures of old Apple products.
However, the thought of shelling out $300 for glamor shots of Jony Ive’s greatest hits seems excessive — and combined with the mixed reviews for the recent MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, having another product out there more likely to provoke negative than positive reactions seems to compound the worst fears people have about Apple.
What are your thoughts on Apple’s pricey new book? Leave your comments below.
