LG ad riffs on Apple's panorama commercial, and expands on it

By Kevin Bostic

A new ad out from LG pays homage to an Apple ad showing off the iPhone 5's panorama capabilities, right before it skewers the ad by showing the expanded panoramic capabilities of the Optimus G Pro.

For the first 30 seconds or so, the LG spot (via MacMagazine) is a tweaked, but faithful, reproduction of the Apple ad in which an iPhone user takes a panorama shot of a line of joyful children. It mimics the white background, the elongated "Cheeeeese" (here "Kimchiiiiiii") and the quirky background music, as well as the long-framed picture the panorama shot produces.

At about the 30 second mark, though, the LG spot beings showing off the wider camera capabilities of the company's flagship Optimus G Pro. Instead of moving solely on a horizontal axis, the photographer begins moving the camera vertically, capturing the ceiling, floor, and surrounding material of the shot.

The resulting image is a multi-dimensional panorama, navigable by touch on the Optimus G Pro's screen. Google added this capability, dubbed "Photo Sphere," to its Android OS in late October with the release of 4.2 Jelly Bean. Images captured in this manner can be uploaded to Google+ or Google Maps for sharing with others.

Less emphasized in the course of the commercial is another feature of the Optimus G Pro's camera, a tracking focus setting that allows the device to keep moving objects in focus.