It looks like Apple’s $38 million Apple Watch ad campaign paid off

As Apple Inc (AAPL.O) debuts its smartwatch on Friday, the technology company focused efforts to drum up buzz on U.S. television, using expensive primetime spots to entice customers to the fledgling wearable technology market. Since showing off the watch at a March 9 event, Apple has spent $38 million on its “Watch Reimagined” television campaign, according to figures from iSpot.tv, which tracks U.S. TV ads and digital responses in real time. That’s a little less than the $42 million Apple spent over the past five months on TV ads for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Unlike the iPhone 6, which has developed a loyal customer base, the watch is Apple’s first new product under CEO Tim Cook and the Cupertino, California company’s first foray at in the emerging wearable technology market. “The iPhone 6 was a barn burner from the get-go. But with the Apple Watch, which is new product category with less familiarity, it makes sense that they’d go after it with more intensity,” said JMP analyst Alex Gauna.