It looks like an Apple iPhone ad at first. Then the tone flips. Glue London plays on the fascination with digital technology and the iPhone. It lands as a cheeky spoof for The Sun.
The punchline. “v 4.0, since 1969”
The film finishes with the words “v 4.0, since 1969”. It is a nod to The Sun’s 40th birthday anniversary this year, delivered in the visual language of tech versioning.
The real question is whether your audience already knows the borrowed format well enough that you can spend your seconds on the twist.
Borrowing a trusted format is a smart shortcut, as long as the punchline is unmistakably yours.
Why this works. Borrow a format people already trust
The execution borrows the look and rhythm of a category-defining ad format and uses it as a shortcut. Here, “format” means the pacing, typography, and product-shot grammar viewers associate with Apple’s iPhone ads. By borrowing that grammar, the film earns instant comprehension, which makes the flip to The Sun feel sharper and the end line hit harder.
Extractable takeaway: When you borrow a dominant format, the audience does the decoding for you. That lets your creative spend its energy on the twist, not on explaining the frame.
In mass-market media brands, borrowing big-tech visual codes can be a fast way to signal modernity because audiences already carry the reference.
How to reuse this spoof move
- Match the “real” format first. If the opening does not feel authentic, the parody reads as a try-hard imitation.
- Keep the twist to one line. A single, version-number style punchline gives people something quotable to repeat.
- Make the last card do the branding. Let the borrowed grammar set expectations, then let your end line pay it off for your brand.
A few fast answers before you act
What is this ad?
A spoof of Apple’s iPhone advertising style for The Sun, created by Glue London.
What does “v 4.0, since 1969” refer to?
A reference to The Sun’s 40th birthday anniversary, expressed like a software version update.
What is the core creative tactic?
Use a familiar tech-ad format as a recognizable frame, then subvert it with a brand-specific punchline.
Why does it travel as a viral?
It is short, culturally legible, and built on a format people immediately recognize.