Apple has launched a new ad for the iPod, which would be pretty small bananas were the iPod not (a) the most interesting cultural phenomenon on the planet; (b) a central component of our family's cultural life in Paris, and (c) promoted by what has been, until now, one of the best thought out campaigns you are likely to see.

You can tell Apple thinks the new ad is the shez, because it has a link to it on the front page of its website. Anyway, good for them. There is a reason for boring you with all this.

The old campaign was designed around silhouettes of people daggy-dancing to the songs. There were the white cords to the ear piece, but nothing more. By now you know the idea:



This campaign has been round for a few years and it needed updating.

The new ad is funky, but it betrays the heart of the what has made the iPod cool: The old ads told you what you do with an iPod and gave you a thrilling reason for having one. The new campaign just sells tech specs.

Yes the new campaign is funky. But the message is geeky. It's golly! look at the number of songs. The old one was emotional. WOW! I want to do that! Showing some album covers and playing a hit song is something anyone can do - radio stations do it every survey. Going off to the music on your iPod - that's something only iPod can do. And the ads have missed it.

* Favourite song on the iPod at the moment? The White Stripes Fell In Love With A Girl. Turn it up.