Apple Inc is actively encouraging its patrons to use a product that is not its own. Seriously.
It was a very weird decision that has not been explained by the company.
Apple, which became the world’s biggest company by market capitalization in March 2023, owns the non-linear video-editing application ‘Final Cut Pro.’ Macromedia first developed the app, which allows users to import, edit and process video footage, and to output the video to a wide variety of formats.
A 2007 study determined that Final Cut Pro made up 49% of the United States professional editing market. It has since declined with the rise of Adobe Premiere.
Adobe and Apple are not necessarily direct competitors in every corner of the media industry. However, they are direct competitors when it comes to software. Especially with video editing.
Apple has Final Cut Pro. Adobe has Premiere.
Thus, it was very strange when the former openly promoted the latter in its most recent commercial.
It was created to promote the video quality of the iPhone. Apple is encouraging producers everywhere to use their phones more often.
Take a look at an Apple Event shot on iPhone 15 Pro. The team behind the curtain talks process. The director shoots in low light with amazing results — while treating iPhone 15 Pro like a real pro camera. Pro workflow specialists name-drop the trio supercharging video on iPhone 15 Pro: ProRes, Apple Log, and USB-C. World-renowned colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld explains how the footage gives him more freedom to create. And the editor talks about bringing the vision to life seamlessly.
Here is how the two-minute, 16-second advertisement turned out:
There was only one weird element to the video.
Apple had various editors talk about “bringing the vision to life seamlessly.” And when the camera cut to Apple’s ‘Lead Editor’ Liz Orson, she was using Adobe Premiere. As were others in the video.
If that wasn’t weird enough, another promotional videos at the most recent Apple event pushed a competitor’s product over its own. It actively pushed Adobe Premiere Pro.
Is Apple giving up on its fight to own the video editing product space? Has it come to realize that Adobe Premiere is a better product?
Regardless of the reason, Apple actively pushed a competitor. It is promoting Adobe over itself.