Best Apple TV Adverts
Apple is one of the world’s best known brands, so naturally their TV adverts are often pretty special. Apple TV ads are usually renowned for their high quality, recognisable music and celebrity cameos.
So, how does Apple flog so many Macbooks, iPods, iPads and iPhones? Here are some of the most memorable Apple TV ads from the last few years…
Misunderstood – 2013
The Apple TV advert for Christmas 2013 is one of those classic pulling-on-the-heartstrings festive ads. The commercial shows a teenager seemingly dragged along a bit reluctantly to his big family Christmas. As grandparents, cousins and parents spend time snowball fighting, making memories and baking together, the teenager watches on from the sidelines – always hunched over his trusty iPhone.
However, far from being disengaged and distracted by technology, on Christmas morning we find out that the teen has actually been using his iPhone to document the family Christmas. As the family watches the perfectly edited short film of their festivities, we’re reminded that reliance on your iPhone is for life, not just for Christmas.
Call Me – 2023
Apple TV has quickly become a household name, home of many of the most popular and critically acclaimed series and films of recent years. This Timothee Chalamet Apple TV ad pokes fun at the sudden meteoric rise of the streaming service, as the Oscar-nominated actor browses the many (many) new releases starring his fellow A-listers.
As he sees titles including Ted Lasso, Blackbird, Severance and more, the Dune and Call Me By Your Name star starts to seem a bit put out that he hasn’t yet had his own starring role in an Apple production. At least he’s got his own Apple TV ad… better than nothing.
There’s an App For That – 2009
Lots of the best TV adverts end up becoming part of everyday language, and this Apple advert from 2009 is no exception. During the true advent of the smartphone revolution, this advert introduced the idea of apps being the ultimate convenience.
The slogan “there’s an app for that” quickly entered the vernacular, with lots of other companies and media outlets quickly adopting it as smartphones and the digital age swept in. The Apple TV ad ended up having such an impact that Apple even filed a patent to trademark “there’s an app for that” in 2019.
Silhouettes – 2003
Apple’s colourful, technicolour Silhouettes iPod adverts were a staple of TV ad breaks in the early 2010s. The Apple TV ad music in this series was always upbeat, modern pop and rock classics, including Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about these simple adverts – which feature black silhouettes of people dancing in front of neon backgrounds – is that the iPod itself is barely visible. That proved to be a masterstroke, as the catchy ads contributed to iPod sales improving from a predicted $400m to $1.5bn in 2005 Q1 alone.
Start Up – 2021
This clever spot takes “Apple TV ad song” to a new level. In the advert, producer A.G. Cook uses a symphony of only sounds made with Apple products to create a catchy tune.
The advert was created to celebrate 45 years of Apple products, and features sounds including the iconic Mac startup sound, the clicky wheel of a classic iPod, the sound of messages being sent and received on an iPhone, a file being AirDropped, and plenty more. The unusual ad format really highlights the amazing amount of products and innovations made by the US company over the years – though it also reminds us how grateful we should be that most people set their devices to silent in everyday life.
Which Apple TV ads are your favourites? Let us know which ones you remember in the comments!