Obviously, HTC doesn’t like all the attention the iPhone is getting. This week it is launching its first-ever brand campaign in the U.S. with simple TV commercials mirror Apple’s (NSDQ: AAPL) basic style. The move is a big switch for the company that traditionally let the carriers take most of the recognition for its collection of high-end Windows Mobile smartphones and devices. Previously, HTC’s brand was almost an afterthought. The campaign starts today in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. The Taiwan company that operates out of Bellevue, Wash., is not releasing specifics on spending, but says the campaign by Amsterdam agency 180 Degrees eclipses several million. 

One commercial currently available on YouTube shows two fingers walking almost like puppets with music playing in the background. The fingers first experience a sandy beach, then walk into a pile of leaves, skip across the tops of skyscrapers and then figure skates on ice. The 30-second commercial ends when the fingers pick up the HTC Touch and demonstrate how easy it is to use the touchscreen. The tagline is: “Set your fingers free.” (The video is embedded below; RSS readers will have to click through.)

The national campaign focuses on HTC’s touchscreen-and sliding-and-tilting Qwerty devices. The company says the ads will kick off this week with TV (cable, in-flight and movie theater placements), outdoor (subways stations, airports, etc.) and print and online spots. The launch corresponds with a shift in HTC’s U.S. distribution model. Instead of solely relying on the carriers, starting this quarter, the phones will be available through retailers. The Touch Dual soon be available by Best Buy and more devices are expected in the future.