Apple launched five new commercials through its YouTube channel Tuesday. Four of them are part of the “Shot on iPhone” series and take us on “One Night” tours of New York City, Johannesburg, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Each commercial is comprised of stills and videos from their respective cities, theoretically taken over one night.
The Fifth is another from the company’s Portrait Mode commercials for iPhone 7 Plus.
One Night in New York
This spot features street views, concerts, and a glorious morning sunrise across the Brooklyn Bridge. The song is “Laventille Road” by the Bacao Rhtythm and Steel Band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0EAmltCNL0
One Night in Johannesburg
The Johannesburg spot focuses on street life, the subway, and colorful characters from this South Africa city. The song is “Midnight Marauders” by Joe Dukie and DJ Fitchie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWeJrEGWV1E
One Night in Shanghai
This is my favorite spot in the series, in part because of the lovely, time lapse cloudscape at the very beginning. It also has some really interesting street life shots. The song is “White Plain” by Howie Lee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYeWMv_NF84
One Night in Tokyo
This spot is the most frenetic of the four, which is apropos of Tokyo itself. It bounces from street scene to street scene, mixing in time lapse and regular videos along the way. The song is “Hovering” by Kyoka.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFNzRlAqniE
Portrait Mode + iPhone 7 Plus – Raconteur
Apple unveiled the Portrait Mode series earlier in February, spots that highlight Portrait Mode in iPhone 7 Plus. This one is called Raconteur and pitches the idea that a shallow depth of field turns Grandpa into a raconteur.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6VonVRi3dg
Thoughts
I like the One Night in… series. The shots are amazing and the compilations work well together. It’s a subtle message because Apple isn’t banging the “Shot on iPhone” message over our heads. But it’s a strong message despite its subtlety.