Apple's celebrity-driven marketing push doesn't just extend to the iPhone and Apple TV: The company is harnessing the power of fame to push the Apple Watch as well.
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The ads, which were posted on Monday, feature big names like singer Nick Jonas, old school rocker Alice Cooper (playing golf!) and actor Chloë Sevigny. Unlike previous celebrity Apple ads -- which focus on humorous skits or everyday situations -- performers are featured in staged environments that are more conceptual than realistic.
Also included in the series of eight ads -- which demonstrate a number of features, from fitness tracking to checking the weather -- is Stephen Colbert's band leader, Jon Batiste.
It's been nearly a year since the debut of Apple's first wearable -- and an absence of per unit sales data has driven some to wonder if the Apple Watch has turned out to be a rare flop for the company. Although the iPhone remains ever-present among regular and high-profile users alike, Apple's wearable hasn't achieved the same apparent ubiquity.
Meanwhile, devices like the lower-priced Fitbit continue to gain traction with users interested in single-focus wearables (fitness, etc.) rather than the multi-function smartwatches that offer apps just as easily accessible on one's smartphone.
In March, Apple held off on refreshing the Apple Watch itself, instead opting to lower the entry-level price to $299 and roll out additional watch band options. It remains to be seen if Apple's slight price drop and band-oriented, fashion-centric strategy will be enough turn the Apple Watch into an iPhone-style hit.
Meanwhile, as some first generation product skeptics wait for the second, hopefully thinner iteration of the Apple Watch, the company now appears to be hanging its wearable hopes on the wrists of celebrity. Apple used that same strategy during the device's launch (Beyonce, Drake, etc.), when it seemed to have limited effect. Perhaps second time's the charm.