Apple, which discontinued its much-panned "genius" ads during the Olympics after their short run, is back with a more traditional approach, promoting its latest iPad.
The ad above, which ran during Tuesday night's Olympics telecast on NBC, touts the new iPad's Retina display and the ability to tweet articles you like. The "product-as-hero" style of the TV spot is more in keeping with past Apple ads than the three "genius" spots, which put the brand's Apple Store VIPs in the spotlight. In contrast with "Genius," which divided fans, the latest spot seems to be gaining wider acceptance -- with more than 26,000 views, the new ad has 10 times more likes than dislikes.
However, the creative retreat by Apple is uncharacteristic. The brand rarely kowtows to fans and a tacit admission that the previous ads weren't working is a rare occurrence for a brand known for its uncompromising vision and untouchable marketing prowess.