A Remarkable Spot from Apple
It is the season for Christmas ads.
No country does Christmas advertising quite like the U.K., where people wait anxiously to see what brands will come up with. Expectations are high. It is a bit like the Super Bowl here in the U.S. You can watch two of my favorite Christmas ads here, one from department store giant John Lewis and another from grocery store Sainsbury’s. Fair warning: I don’t think the ads are particularly effective and they would score poorly on the ADPLAN framework.
Still, they are charming and positive, and that is worth something.
U.S. advertisers are getting into the spirit, too, and Apple’s spot deserves our attention.
Advertising and Society
Marketing reflects society. Brand teams work very hard to understand how people are feeling and craft messages that will resonate.
Done well, spots subtly reflect the environment. Marketers don’t announce, “We’ve uncovered an insight about how you are feeling: you are anxious about AI.”
The work just somehow fits the moment.
Apple’s Spot
So, what has Apple come up with? A spot that is wonderfully effective, but also a striking reflection of where we are as a country.
As a piece of advertising, the spot is terrific. It highlights the Air Pods new hearing aid feature. The device transforms the spot; before using the devices, a father can’t hear everything his children say. After, he picks up all the messages. This is a clear differentiating benefit.
More interesting, the spot embraces traditional family values.
– The ad features a mother, a father and children. There are no broken families here.
– Everyone is white. The child is blond.
– They live in a nice home with a fireplace and nice furniture, probably in a small town. There is a dog, a train and a piano.
– There are no tattoos or dynamic piercings. There is no discussion of anyone transitioning. Everyone seems comfortable with their gender.
-The father is named John.
– The spot is a celebration of parenting. The children are beautiful and appreciative. There are warm feelings all around.
Of course, this spot arrives shortly after Donald Trump and the Republican party won an enormous victory, in part by embracing traditional family values. It is a moment where companies and universities are backing away from DEI initiatives.
Apple clearly has gotten the message.
Even the casting reflects our new world: the ad’s main character bears a striking resemblance to JD Vance.
I suspect we will see many advertisers embracing traditional values in 2025.
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