Whatever you may think about the Sun newspaper, you have to admit that their editorial team has a sense of humour. A new viral ad which has been produced to advertise the 40th birthday of the tabloid is a minute-long mickey-taking session aimed at Apple's iPhone ads.
Riffing on the look and style of Apple's TV spots, it features a white background and various hands doing various things with a copy of the Sun, while a voiceover explains the various benefits that make it the 'best handheld for 40 years'.
Included in the list of Sun benefits is the fact that you do not need to wait for the news to download, you do not have to squint at the 26-inch display and it is easy to share content with your mates. The fact that it's 100 per cent recyclable is thrown in for good measure.
The ad is self-mocking as well as satirical, but it is interesting that the News Corp-owned Sun would lay into a popular mobile format. Some may recall the recent claims by News Corp owner Rupert Murdoch that free mobile news supported by advertising would never be financially viable.
News Corp publications, including the Sun, could soon be available on mobiles behind a paid-for subscription service, although the idea of such an offering has been dismissed by most mobile owners as undesirable.
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