That's a bit too simplistic and really discounts the product. Over the past decade or so, Apple has recently had a very good run of ads (very recent ads notwith

That's a bit too simplistic and really discounts the product. Over the past decade or so, Apple has recently had a very good run of ads (very recent ads notwithstanding). But I think that most of that started with the iPod ads. That is what gave Apple it's trendiness. What Apple is really good at is giving people a well designed product that does what they need, does it well, and isn't much more expensive (or even cheaper) than their competitors. But really, it's a combination of product design and execution. Apple's hidden genius lies in their supply chain management. It's not sexy, but it's what Tim Cook executed masterfully. And that's what makes Apple its profits.