TBWA\Media Arts Lab pulls back the curtain on Apple’s holiday ad

At the heart of the ad was the new AirPods Pro 2 – or, more accurately, its newsworthy hearing aid feature, which reinforces Apple’s “longstanding commitment” to making technology accessible to the masses.

The creative team at TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Apple’s bespoke agency, knew that this feature was the pillar of the campaign.

Startling statistics and an ‘aha’ moment

The decision to center the ad on the AirPods Pro 2’s hearing aid feature was, according to Greg Greenberg, executive creative director at TBWA\Media Arts Lab, a directive from Apple itself. “Credit goes to Apple,” he says. “First, for developing the groundbreaking AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid feature technology, and second, for deciding to make it the focus of this year’s holiday campaign.”

The creative process began with a startling statistic: people with hearing loss wait an average of 10 years before seeking help. “When we saw that fact, it was our ‘aha’ moment. We didn’t have an idea yet, but we knew it had to stem from that insight.”

A father and daughter story

The ad’s storyline follows a father with hearing loss who reconnects with his daughter through music. “We thought a lot about the sounds of the holidays and what people miss out on when they can’t hear them properly,” Greenberg explains. “It’s often the small things, not the big ones, that matter most – the ripping of wrapping paper, a child’s laughter or the simple sound of their voice singing.”

Greenberg’s own experiences as a parent informed the storyline. “As a parent of a 9-year-old, I felt from the start that it should be about that special connection between a parent and their child and how it’s strengthened through sound. It’s an unspoken bond, full of meaning and emotion on both sides, even when it isn’t always expressed. I remembered watching my daughter sing at a school performance and getting teary-eyed the moment I heard her voice.”

Collaborating with Academy Award-nominated director Henry-Alex Rubin, the team zeroed in on the poignant moment when a parent can finally hear their child sing.

It’s not ‘just a Christmas ad’

Balancing the holiday theme with a deeper message of inclusivity and accessibility was no small feat. “Our goal was never to create just a ‘Christmas ad. First and foremost, we wanted to tell a beautiful, human story that resonated emotionally, did justice to the power of the technology, and honored Apple’s longstanding commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.”

Setting the narrative during the holidays simply made it more relatable and poignant. “There is just something emotional about this time of year. We all feel it.” His team knew that people would be watching the spot in living rooms just like the one depicted in the film, which helped prime them to connect with the story on a personal level.

Paul Ottosson recorded the sound of his own brain for this

A critical aspect of the ad was its realistic sound design, a task entrusted to sound designer Paul Ottosson. “Authenticity was the driving force for us,” Greenberg notes. “We wanted to ensure the portrayal of mild to moderate hearing loss felt equally real.”

Ottosson’s meticulous approach included recording his own brain’s sound using a binaural microphone. The creative team also collaborated closely with Apple’s hearing health team and gathered feedback from the hard-of-hearing community to ensure accuracy. “It was so important for us to get this one right – not just the story and execution, but also the experience of the character, conveyed through sound,” says Greenberg.

Overcoming challenges

The road to creating the ad wasn’t without its hurdles. “At Media Arts Lab, we always put pressure on ourselves to do amazing work for Apple,” Greenberg shares. “This one took the cake.” The most significant challenge? Casting. The team was committed to casting from the hard-of-hearing community.

“We needed a parent with mild to moderate hearing loss who wasn’t using hearing aids, who had a child who played guitar and a family that had a mountain of old iPhone videos of their kids that we could use,” Greenberg explains. Fortunately, they found the Pelletreau family, whose authenticity brought the story to life.

Resonating with the world

The ad has garnered praise from both the public and the hard-of-hearing community. “The response in the world has been really special to watch. We received a lot of amazing feedback from people in the hard-of-hearing community about the authenticity of the piece, how true-to-life the representation felt and how emotional and meaningful the story was.”

Even more gratifying was the real-world impact. “Seeing posts on different social platforms of people who spoke about seeing the ad, getting AirPods Pro 2 and then using the hearing aid feature in their daily lives was so special for all involved.”