Apple Ad Features Venus, Serena Williams Highlighting iPhone's "Do Not Disturb" Function

Apple's new iPhone 5 ad features actor Jeff Daniels talking about "how great it is not to be interrupted by a call when he's having a dream" about tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, according to Tim Nudd of AD WEEK. The spot highlights the phone's "Do Not Disturb" feature and involves "a vigorous game of Ping Pong." The table tennis action is "superbly filmed, and the sisters' reactions at the end of the point are priceless." It may be the "most enjoyable iPhone spot yet." It is a "shame, then, that it happened to be released for New Year's -- when, due to a glitch involving the rollover to 2013, 'Do Not Disturb' suddenly stopped working for a number of users on Tuesday morning" (ADWEEK.com, 1/2). AD AGE's Simon Dumenco noted the spot is "mildly entertaining," but unfortunately for Apple the Williams sisters are "promoting an Apple software feature that's been making news in the new year for being buggy." If you view the ad "on YouTube, you'll see that 'comments are disabled for this video' (per usual for Apple)." In other words, "Do Not Disturb Apple, please" (ADAGE.com, 1/2).