[NewsPoster]

On Friday, Apple launched a new TV ad promoting both the iPad and iPad mini by cleverly showing both products as they might be used in a FaceTime video conference, with a man's granddaughter playing the ukelele and singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas," a wistful 1943 hit for Bing Crosby written by Walter Kent and Kim Gannon (based on a poem by Buck Ram). The grandfather's iPad shows the young lady, while her iPad mini shows her grandfather's reaction.

The girl's rendition of the song is the only audio in the advertisement (seen below), and the ad is a straightforward image of two people sharing a special moment using the simple but high-quality FaceTime feature to communicate, even though they are (presumably) far apart. In fact, FaceTime has been a major selling point for Apple's mobile devices, finally making videoconferencing simple enough and reliable enough to have even novice users embrace it as a way to stay in touch with far-away friends and family. FaceTime works between any recent Mac running 10.6.6 or higher, and iOS devices. Mac Mini and Mac Pro machines require a third-party camera to use FaceTime. There is no advertising copy, nor even any mention of the products being shown -- a move few companies other than Apple could get away with. The final second of the ad shows simply Apple's logo, along with an added "snow" effect. Though both the fourth-generation iPad and the iPad mini debuted at the same time, the latter product appears to be outselling the refreshed full-size model, and is on track to become Apple's second best-selling product behind the various models of iPhone. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was a Top Ten hit for Crosby, and has been a holiday staple ever since. It tells a story of a soldier in World War II that is writing a letter to his family, with each line saying he'll be home for Christmas and what he'd like to see, including snow, mistletoe and presents on the tree, until the final line of the song where he adds "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams," adding a sombre tone to the finale. It has since been covered by dozens of artists, starting with Perry Como and Frank Sinatra, and most recently by country-pop act Lady Antebellum.

[Wingsy]

That was good.

Geico, take a lesson.

[jpadhiyar]

Typical Apple-esque: stripped of everything but bare minimal stuff and a simple ad that just blows away all the other ads. The snow fall in the end was a touch of class.

[elroth]

I saw the beginning of that commercial a few times, and immediately switched it off because the singing was so annoying. I didn't realize it was an iPad commercial until just now when I read this story.

Ugh. That's about all I can say. First Apple commercial I've ever hated - bad singing just does that to me (I still haven't seen the rest of it).

[evansls]

..

[evansls]

Originally Posted by elroth 

I saw the beginning of that commercial a few times, and immediately switched it off because the singing was so annoying. I didn't realize it was an iPad commercial until just now when I read this story.
Ugh. That's about all I can say. First Apple commercial I've ever hated - bad singing just does that to me (I still haven't seen the rest of it).

says the person who doesn't have kids based on the fact this is what children sound like when they sing.

[Charles Martin]

With due respect, you do not appear to be able to judge good singing from bad. She is on-key and sings the song perfectly fine. Adele she ain't, but then we only have one of those.

Evidently you've never heard a child sing in your life. How sad.

[Spheric Harlot]

It's difficult to relate to if you have no ****ing clue what kids and family are about.

This kid is actually pretty awesome, and it doesn't matter at all to the message of the ad.

Well, no matter what, the singing is pretty so-so. I think the ad is pretty okay - I don't know if it's extremely original really. Just like the santa-siri ad last year, I thought it was just what you would expect at xmas, well done, though.

[ynotplay9]

I have never posted on this site, but even though I personaly don't own very many apple products,(just an ipod), I was so glad to see that apple had seen fit to air this girl's version of the song.
I thought it was awsome! Perfect pitch, and sung with true feeling.
I see that some people unfortunately don't feel the same way about it though, and although our world is filled with many different tastes, I think some are quite simply blinded by a need for bright lights and all that comes with it to think that something is worthwhile. Many of these same people would probably also not appreciate the remarkable rendition of the song, "Somewhwere over the Rainbow", sung by the late great Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, and let me just say that they are missing out. I feel in my heart that even Iz himself would have loved hearing this young girls version of this song.
Thanks apple, for giving her the chance to be heard and appreciated.