Apple builds hype for iPhone with less

By Paul Thomasch

NEW YORK (Reuters) - When it comes to Apple Inc.'s iPhone marketing, less has proven to be so much more.

The company led by Steve Jobs first unveiled the music playing iPhone in January, then ran a mysterious teaser commercial for it during the Academy Awards six weeks later. A scant few other details followed.

Only in the last few weeks, when television commercials started running in earnest, did viewers really learn much about what had become the most talked-about product of the year.

It is a suspense-building marketing approach that appears to have worked, judging from the buzz around the iPhone that is set to hit stores on June 29.

Advertising experts say the minimalist campaign will burnish Apple's reputation as a master at promoting its brand and products.

"One of the intelligent things they've done with their advertising on this is they understood they didn't need to let the advertising get in the way of the product," said Kelly O'Keefe, executive education director of the Virginia Commonwealth University's Adcenter.

"The product itself is innovative enough that demo-ing it on the ads is enough to generate excitement," he added.

Others pointed to the way that Jobs has captivated consumer and technology press, essentially getting them to do his work by writing an endless stream of articles on what may be the successor to the popular iPod music player.