Color Flood is Apple’s newest commercial that debuted in December 2018 to promote the iPhone XR. The commercial is shot in a vacant and somewhat lifeless looking complex in Prague. Runners wearing matching jumpsuits in six colors performing parkour in groups of the same colors. Eventually all of the different colors come together. The text is set to the song Come Along by Cosmo Sheldrake.
The author implores all five multimodial elements, some more than others, to successfully achieve the purpose of not only selling phones but convert non-Apple users and bolster current customer belief in superiority of their product. Interpretation of all five elements will show the success the author achieves with Color Flood.
Aural Communication
This text only uses music as a form of communication. No other sound effects are used. The song through the lyrics encourages you to come along and run away from the humdrum. Apple wants to sell phones and cleverly lets potential new customers know that other phones have very little to match the new iPhone XR. Previously, Apple has encouraged customers to come along-in their 1984 Super Bowl commercial they also used visual and gestural modes in a shrewd attempt to show customers the power of the new Mac over other PC’s.
Music is not the only element of this text. It can be argued that silence is also an element. Silence can be a very effective element of communication. Apple has long been thought of as the leader in cutting edge technology. From phones to personal music devices to computers, Apple has consistently been in front of all competitors, often imitated but never replicated. Having done this since their inception, the author chooses to say nothing about the product and to simply let the customer’s mind wonder to exactly what benefits the Liquid Retina display may offer.
Spatial
Color Flood opens with a wide panning view of the area where the flood will begin and colors will eventually come together. The dog in the opening sequence could easily represent Apple; through non-verbal communication looking forward, the dog presumes to see the flood coming and then looks toward the audience, insinuating to potential customers that what we are about to offer is unparalleled to any other smart phone.
Gestural
The physical arrangement of color takes the potential customer on a fast paced run to color. Apple is attempting to convince the customer to not wait to purchase a new phone. With the opening sequence of symmetrical buildings to the slowly developing flash flood of colors, Apple shows potential customers that while all phones may have similar shapes and sizes, you won’t find many other with similar characteristics to the iPhone XR and especially the Liquid Retina display. Apple takes this notion a step further in the end as all of the colors come together, while “MAKE ROOM FOR COLOR” is centered among the colors in all white. Apple is leading customers to believe that while all phones may be equal, the iPhone brings all you could want from a phone and more with Liquid Retina display.
As the color flood take place, it shows most of the colors being closely aligned to the matching colors and tightly spaced together. This spatial impact is intended to create in the viewer’s mind the affect the Liquid Retina display will have when using the phone.
Visual
During the visual element, Apple effectively grabs their audience with bright colors in both the foreground and background.
It may be worth noting that Apple has historically relied on visual elements to intrigue customers with what is next to come for the consumer but also draw new customers with what they are missing.
The colors performing parkour throughout the text and finally coming together is how Apple retains current customers with the next big thing to come, but also grabs future customers by showing them what they are missing, which in this text is the new feature of Liquid Retina display.
Without an aural element to this text other than music, Apple has the potential to catch a new customer who has to know what this product can do and will further research the product. Essentially, giving the potential customer enough information to peak their interest to further investigate the benefits of the new iPhone.
The visual elements are Apple’s way of subtlety showing the consumer just how good they think they are with all of the focus on bold, visual colors. Apple then simply asks customers to make room for color in all white to close the color flood.
Linguistic
Apple has always counted on customer loyalty as the intended audience to believe that Apple will always deliver the latest and greatest in technology.
Linguistically, Color Flood relies on consumers’ continued conviction of Apple brand superiority by visually alluding to the benefits of the new iPhone XR Liquid Retina display without verbally telling what they are.
As Apple continues to attempt to control the market in smart phones, it seems apparent that they satisfy repeat customers and sway users of other smart phones by only implying the benefits of the product. Again, Apple seems to rely on this form of communication and promotion for the products they offer.
Apple uses music as its linguistic element in Color Flood to convey the benefits of the new iPhone. As mentioned previously, the purpose goes beyond phone sales in this mode. It could be argued that the use of this particular song is to draw new Apple users or for them to “come along.”
The lyrics open with “Come along, catch a heffalump.” This may be a bold interpretation but it does maintain Apple’s ethos to come along to the world of Apple superiority, whether it be a returning customer or new-it is time to be part of the Apple family.
The other unique part of this mode is using a lyric referring to heffalump, an imaginary elephant of Tigger from the Winnie the Pooh series. Apple is conveying that Liquid Retina is like nothing you have seen before.
The linguistic element by the author keeps pace with the visual elements and the intended purpose throughout the text.
Conclusion
The author, through the use of five multimodial elements, conveys that the new iPhone XR with Liquid Retina display will continue the trend of loyal Apple customers needing the latest and greatest product that they offer, without having to verbally tell them how great it is. They also attempt to convert non-users by tempting them to come along and see what they have been missing.
Color Flood stays with Apple’s pattern of relying on audio and gestural elements rather than linguistic elements to promote products.
The author using the linguistic and aural elements draws the audience to the appeal of Liquid Retina display and the vibrant colors that will come to life on the iPhone XR. By not using a voiceover to describe why you should purchase the phone but drawing the customer to the product through our own thoughts like, “how much cooler will my photos be?” The author is counting on the lyrics and colors to peek our interest enough to at the minimum look further into the product. A big gamble, but the author has historically and successfully achieved this.
There are many strengths to this text-the obvious being the vibrant colors and parkour moves that represent how Liquid Retina display will bring to life pictures and videos on your new phone. The boldness that the author uses is also a strength. To be that dominate in a market that you don’t have to tell your customer about the benefits of your product and rely on them to seek the newest and brightest product you have to offer is a testament to Apple’s longstanding market control.
Often, a strength can be a weakness. To the average consumer, it takes to the very end of the text to know what this text is about and even from there it is really not that clear what the benefits of Liquid Retina display are. Again, Apple is relying on consumer loyalty or new customer interest to consider the purchase of iPhone XR.
Through this text the author could just as easily attract customers by focusing on the different colors of the iPhone XR that are offered if Liquid Retina is not a hot button for a certain audience of new and returning customers. Either way, Apple will continue to have success in selling phones.
The Journey 