Former 'I'm a Mac' actor Justin Long is now shilling for an Android phone
Huawei, the largest smartphone maker in the China and third largest in the world, is looking to invade the U.S. in a very big, splashy way.
The Chinese tech giant has enlisted actor Justin Long, who appeared in Apple's famous "Get a Mac" TV commercials between 2006 to 2009, to star in its new Android smartphone campaign. According to Campaign US, one reason Huawei hired Long was precisely because of his previous work for Apple.
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In a new video called "The Interview," Long plays the role of a job candidate who is being interviewed by a Mate 9 Android phone to become the director of its own commercial.
The video and "interview" playfully reminds viewers of his past relationship with Apple, with Long saying he has "a ton of experience in tech" and that he has never directed anything. Well, duh, he starred in Apple's old Mac ads.
Jessica Grizzel, the group director of Blast Radius, the advertising agency behind Huawei's new Mate 9 campaign, told Campaign US Huawei's original concept called for Long to speak more directly about his role in Apple's former campaign.
Long, however, was able to convince the company to "infer" the relationship instead. "There is no doubt that Justin’s history as a pitch-man for Apple adds a nice subtext to the videos and builds on Huawei’s challenger position in the market," Grizzel said.
The 60-second video is funny, succinct and plays up the Mate 9's strengths. "You’re smart, you’re efficient, you can go two days without needing a charge. That is what I call impressive." Long even jokes about calling the phone's built-in digital assistant "Al" before Alexa corrects him.
The irony of Long promoting an Android phone is that he's now become the "PC" that he once poo-pooed all over. Because, you know, Android phones are essentially the PC of the mobile era.
