Apple Joins in on ‘Animoji Karaoke’ Trend in Latest Ad Campaign

Apple on Monday released a new set of iPhone X ads on its YouTube channel that highlight Face ID and the related Animoji feature.

The first and longest video ad sees the company capitalizing on the “Animoji karaoke” trend that spread across social media this month after a Fast Company editor posted his own foxy rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” on Twitter. Since then, the fad has only taken off — with hundreds of users posting their own takes on advanced, 3D-mapped karaoke.

The Animoji ad sees several of Apple’s new animated characters singing “All Night” by Big Boi. Later in the video, the respective humans behind the facial animations appear alongside the Animoji, appropriately dressed to match the colors of each specific character. It’s a tongue-in-cheek ad which obviously hints at the fact that Apple pays attention to trends on social media.

Apple also released three videos focused on its new Face ID platform. The first is a 38-second overview of the facial recognition platform, boasting that the iPhone X uses the “most unforgettable, magical password ever created” — a user’s face. The ad also highlights the ability to use Face ID with Apple Pay.

The other two ads are 15-second spots that detail two specific features of Apple’s Face ID. The first touts the system’s ability to work in the dark, while the second focuses on the fact that Face ID can read a face despite certain changes — such a user wearing makeup, glasses or hats.

Interestingly, Apple posted a similar ad to its Canadian YouTube channel that also highlights Face ID’s adaptability — though this ad lets users know that Face ID can recognize them even if they grow a beard or make other facial hair changes.

Notably, these are the first iPhone X-specific ads that Apple has posted since releasing a couple announcement videos when the device was introduced in September. Aside from YouTube, the ads will be shown on television, the web and social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.