Last night, 60 Minutes viewers were in for a surprise. Gadget Lab blogger Mark McClusky remarked that while the tech press salivates, Apple ended up choosing the venerable news magazine as a vehicle for its new iPhone commercials, complete with a final release date for the first time: June 29th.

McClusky speculates that by doing this, Apple is aiming straight for the mainstream market. They probably figure that anyone who can tell a computer mouse from a desk lamp is already busy leaving fingerprints on AT&T store windows.

As for the commercials themselves, we like how they serve as mini-instruction manuals. What better way to show off the fanciness then to present an iPhone in action?

iPhone ads: Why 60 Minutes? [Gadget Lab]