Christmas ads for 2024 have been mostly about entertaining audiences, but Apple has plunged into purpose with this ad for its latest AirPods, which have a hearing aid function.
It’s a simple tale that tugs at the heartstrings. The soundtrack starts off muffled to reflect Dad’s bad hearing, but once he gets some AirPods for Christmas he is able to enjoy the love that is all around him.
The strong message fits with Apple’s ongoing purpose push in films like Emmy-winning The Greatest and 2024 Paralympics film The Relay. The US Food and Drug Administration authorised Apple’s hearing aid feature (which also allows for an instant at-home test via the app) only a couple of months ago.
Can Apple do the unthinkable and make hearing aids cool? They did at least have the sense to cast an actor who is hard of hearing in the film.
The cynic might suggest that, at around £229 for a pair, it’s a more affordable Christmas present than other Apple devices. But if the company is improving people’s lives while doing good business and making effective ads, all credit to them.
MAA creative scale: 6.5
