Google's latest Nexus 10 tablet ad vs. Apple's current iPad ads

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

Google has released a new ad for their Samsung-built Nexus 10 tablet called "New Baby". It shows the kind of deft polish and product packaging Google's able to put together now -- far, far better stuff than the off-key, borderline creepy ads of the past, and almost Apple-calibur in its quality and content. It's close to the early iPad 2 ads in feel -- very human, very resonant, and very experiential.

For their part, Apple has switched from experiential, Peter Coyote voiced spots to a lighter, funner, almost iPod-esque style for their latest ads, showing keywords and first- and third-party apps off at an almost blipvert pace.

To be fair, Google still suffers from a daunting paucity of tablet-class apps, so they may simply not have much to show when it comes to big apps for the big screen, at least not anything approaching the tens of thousands of great tablet apps available for the iPad.

To their credit, however, Google does show Nexus 10 features unavailable on the iPad, like multiple user accounts and multiple window environments. I don't know if they show them off well enough -- the glimpses are fleeting and the importance of the differentiation isn't always clear -- but they do show them off. These are often high-up on some pro-user/greek want lists, but every time they've been used as differentiation to compete with the iPad, they've failed. Hard.

One line of thinking is that mainstream iPad customers don't want desktop-like experiences. The added complexity is actually off-putting, intimidating, confusing, or otherwise unwelcome on the even more personal post-PC. The other is that they simply haven't, to date, been made or marketed well.

The Nexus 10 is made well, and if this ad is any indication, Google seems to have learned to market it better, so could we finally start to see if people really want more desktop-like tablets, or if part of the iPad's appeal is that it's decidedly not a desktop?

Check out both Google's "New Baby" and Apple's latest "Together" spot below, as well as Apple's classic "We believe" and let me know what you think. Which type of ad to you prefer, and which feature set is more compellingly shown off?

Source: Android Central

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

24 Comments
  • Apple's ads are just so darn clever and catchy. It's hard to not like them! As far as the google ad, I didn't even notice that it pointed out features that the iPad didn't offer.. For me, I love my iPad because of the simplicity like your article says. I don't want my tablet to be a desktop, or I would have bought a desktop. I want it to be a nice light, easy to use tablet, but powerful at the same time, which is exactly what the iPad offers. Apple's got my vote on this one. I do love google as a company though. Can't wait for The Internship movie to come out!
  • uh... profiles? that was basically the entire point of the commercial
  • This Google commercial is creepy in a away, And I don't like it. Apple commercials have always been something seen almost as an art.
  • Agreed. I was not a huge fan of Apple, but would always admit that their ads are clean, simple, artistic and gets the message driven into the minds of the consumer. Their ads scream awesomeness. If only the Microsoft marketing team would learn a thing from the Apple guys.
  • This Google commercial is creepy in a away, And I don't like it. Apple commercials have always been something seen almost as an art.
  • Personally, I think the multiple accounts is brilliant. Especially when adults give their kids their phone to play games. I think it is immensely useful due to each account can have different settings. Apple has an amazing marketing team that allows them to connect to their viewers and possible buyers.
  • I couldn't agree more. Multiple accounts would have saved me from just buying two iPads. Ohhhh, now I get it. Well played Apple.
  • Multiple accounts possible on the iPad? I just bought an iPad mini, but i am not sure how I missed that!
    Edit; Lol.. I didnt get the joke and posted hastily. I would let the comment stay anyway!! :P
  • I think google is trying way to hard with android on tablets. They need to make touch buttons necessary again. Also those ads are really weird
  • That was a great ad for Google. Shows real life use and even though it didn't stop to hammer features at you I got that you can have multiple accounts easily.
    Apple ads are all about apps now and that's good. Especially for iPad since that's the huge deal breaker considering Apple has much more tablet sized apps
  • Yep, loved the Nexus 10 ad. Cute, situational, and unobtrusive. All Apples ads have this predictable, boring, same-ness to them... it's like an extension of their hardware/software ;)
  • I thought google's ad and I'm a die hard Apple fan. I still think Apple's are more attention getting. I think they do this on purpose but whenever you hear one you know what it is. You know it's Apple.
  • Google's problem is deeper than Rene indicates -- they *can't* explain the differentiating features of Android in a product-as-hero ad without killing the whole mood. To get customers interested in multiple user accounts, for example, you have to explain what they are, any why customers might want them, and *then* point out the iPad does not have them. You can't do that when weaving a story about the Nexus at the center of a single experience -- it takes time, and its own spot, if not its own campaign. If Google really wants to differentiate their product while still being "Apple like" in their ads, they should get really daring and make "I'm a Nexus. I'm an iPad" ads with stories explaining each differentiating feature. Off the top of my head, for multiple user accounts, a kid wanting to play Angry Birds would trash his father's important presentation on an iPad, where daddy's data is safe on a Nexus, because the kid has his own sandboxed account. Yeah, against Apple's feature set and marketing cache it could backfire, but Google has to find some way to explain these complex-to-new-user features in simple, relatable terms to provide the answer "why should I get this instead of an iPad."
  • I thought that the ad was really sweet, the parents have accounts and then they make one for the baby. Did I miss something? What makes this ad creepy?
  • Since we're talking about ads: Samsung ad: "Galaxy S4 isn't just another generic Android phone."
    Apple ad: "Yes it is."
  • I thought that was a really good ad. Shows off the features of 4.2 like flow typing and multiple accounts. What's not to like?
  • OK, you're all probably going to laugh at me, but for some reason the linked iPad2 commercial JUST struck a chord with me. I work in IT and technology is my life, so I have no difficulty in working with (and sometimes against) technology in order to get stuff done. It's also a part of the reason that I'm a fan of Android's OS, which is in many ways more complex but also VERY powerful if you know how to use it. However, the line about "technology getting out of the way" made me go "hum....good point".
  • That's the most important point, alas, Apple's mission. It's what all the spec sheet checkers will never understand.
  • I actually thought the google ad was the best of the three. Now I have seen apple ads that were better for showing off the iPad and iPad mini but of those three the nexus ad wins
  • I agree, Apple's ad's have been absolutely terrible the past couple years. I hate to say they have sucked since Steve died but we all know it's true. I honestly feel like the new iPod ad was the only good Apple ad in the past year or so. They need a new direction, the current ads blow IMO.
  • I actually liked the nexus ad. it does feel similar to apple's ads though
  • The google ad does a fantastic job of promoting all the cliche stereotypes. Where are the girls who like baseball and guys who actually care about parenting?
  • The reason multi user accounts don't catch on with tablets is that they go against the purpose of a tablet as a personal device. I can almost see multi users on a laptop, but even that's a stretch. On a tablet? No way.
  • I think the Nexus ad is pretty funny. robogobo....there are plenty of girls that like baseball and guys that care about parenting...I do think Apple will enable a multiple user login...due to the fact that a lot of families have an iPad that is shared among all mostly because people are buying tablets instead of laptops. I think this is a pretty good ad but not close to what Apple is doing. Its ok for Google to play catch up...there is only one Apple.