Are People In iPhone TV Ads Actors?

Special Report by Ian Fawling

Everyone in the entire universe is asking the same question, "Are those real people in the iPhone ads or just paid actors reciting a script?" Ok, not the entire universe, but certainly a handful are asking. The balance of people could care less because they have real lives to live, not iPhone inspired lives which has become all the rage.

Apple has catapulted three fresh "Real People Stories" onto it's website, in ads featuring an airline pilot "Bryce", ballet dancer (blogger) "Kristin" and an Off-Broadway producer named "Ken". That now adds up to five out of six iPhone ads being mantastic, with dudes dominating the screen. I called Apple's ad agency TBWA/CHIAT/DAY to ask them the tough questions. A lovely voice on the other line hinted that I would get a call back with answers once Apple was consulted (I'm tired of waiting). Here's what I've uncovered.

Kristin Sloan is actually a dancer for the New York City Ballet and the founder, editor of the dance collaborative blog "The Winger" as she states in the iPhone ad (her profile here). Ken Davenport is a true life Off-Broadway producer who hosts several online sites (here) including The Producer's Perspective (here) where he has the Apple ad featured. Ken's new play "My First Time" appears to be getting positive reviews (website here). Let's see if his iPhone ad does as well. I don't know if these people actually emailed Apple their iPhone stories or not. Maybe they paid Apple to plug their projects. The agency knows for sure. Also, I heard no airline plug from Bryce.

Though these three new spots are an improvement over 'Meat Head', 'Middle Manager', and 'Toolbag' these apples don't fall far from the tree. Same format, different people. The big addition here is being able to connect to the real people online which does make the spots more compelling. Maybe that's what has been missing. We all want to know if we're being hyped, right? Maybe the agency figured that one out. I could not locate Bryce the pilot, but that delay may be very serendipitous since Bryce seems like the hold-over guy from the first batch of ads. The great bland-ini strikes again!

It's difficult to tell if these Apple TV ads will have any influence on our high-speed "don't hype me, I'll make my own choices" culture. Of course the ads are easy targets to poke fun at because I did not create them. I'm willing to admit that. The real question remains, will they sell more iPhones? I would like to know that answer as well, now that I've learned that at least two of the people are not stand-ins.

Out of A Coma, Into The Apple Store (link)  

Comments

[Samuel Winke]

Kristin has been blogging since sometime in 2005 using her Sony Ericsson S710. Looks like she upgraded to the iPhone to do a better job of it.

In yo face Sony! Booya!

http://greatdance.com/danceblog/arch...eld/000314.php

[David Manning]

Actually,

I wrote my own experience as an airline pilot with a two-week-old iPhone into the Apple "tell your story" website, and they cast "Bryce" for it. I was actually bummed they didn't even offer to fly me in to see if I could play the part. I signed a NDA but really wasn't involved in anything, so there is nothing to tell. In reality:

1. The flight was Dallas/Ft. Worth to NY La Guardia
2. I accessed our intranet-hosted company weather site, WSI, from the cockpit while waiting to be released to takeoff
3. I fly for AA
4. I got three calls from people involved with the ad campaign...the first wanted more info. They were "intrigued" by my story. I told them all the details. Then an ad guy from NY called, faxed a non-disclosure agreement, and never called back.

My wife and I get a laugh about it all, and I guess I missed my fifteen minutes of fame.

[nancy]

Where have I seen Bryce before? Was he a contestant on some reality show or does he just look like someone else?

[Annonymous]

I can tell you the stories may be real, but the people probably are actors.....in fact they are, I attest to that, in my e-mail box right now is a e-mail from a casting company who searches for jobs for actors, entertainers, etc... I received an e-mail about a new iphone commercial that is to come out with a woman in it advertising the iphone.

[Mike]

I am not sure if Bryce is acting or not But I went to college with Bryce and his study was aviation and he was flying planes when I graduated.