An apple is an apple. That is the bottom line of CNN’s simple yet extremely honest new ad campaign. When I started watching the ad, I felt like I was back on the first day of school and my teacher was trying to explain to me what an apple is. I wondered – do the makers of this ad not think I am able to judge for myself the difference between an apple and a banana? The spot already got me curious in the very first 5 seconds. Funnily enough, throughout the ad, all I see is an apple on a white background, with captions and a voice-over saying that while some may try to make you believe that the fruit you are seeing on screen was a banana, it is, in fact, an apple.
In other words, facts are facts.
The apple and the banana in the ad refer to facts and opinions respectively. The cleverly used metaphor, which continues throughout the ad, is intended to remind people that opinions do not change facts. The ad, as we know, is a retaliation to Donald Trump’s statement that 46% of Americans believed that major national news organisations fabricated stories about him.
Conceptualised by Figliulo & Partners, the campaign throws light on the importance of free press, which should not be controlled by political matters and how CNN, as a new organization, believes in presenting facts before anything else. What I liked about the ad is how it managed to convey such a powerful message in just 30 seconds through a simple imagery of an apple. There was a chance that the commercial could have come across as arrogant because it seemed like the ad is preaching to the choir. However, the entire tone of the film, especially the voice-over, sounds logical and positive. The script is persuasive and the music also creates a sense of curiosity. It compels you to think.
Many publications have argued that this is a desperate attempt on CNN’s part to present itself as a legitimate news source. There are several spoofs of the same online too. I am not sure if this ad will change America’s perspective on CNN and make them switch news networks but the ad was intended to get people talking and debating about the issue and it has successfully achieved its objective.
In an age of social media, where anybody and everybody has a point of view, the line between what is true and what is not can often get blurred. The ad film is simply reminding consumers of news to keep an eye out for what to believe. After all, it just takes one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch.
