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Apple airs new ad for the holidays: ‘The Song’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRsPnzcZ1VY

Continuing its ‘From one gift come many’ campaign, Apple has published a new commercial entitled ‘The Song’. The ad depicts a young woman listening to a song on a record player, from her youth. The girl then learns the tune using their guitar, recording the tune on a Mac.

The girl then leaves an iPad preloaded with the same song for an older relation, her grandmother, provoking the same emotions of her childhood and memories. The ad concludes with a Happy Holidays message from the company. Apple describes the ad with the following prelude on its website:

Some gifts create a million more. Watch as one budding musician uses Mac and GarageBand to make a heartfelt song for her grandmother.

Although the ad includes Apple products, their involvement is subtle. The tone is similar to Apple’s holiday ad for 2013. That ad went on to win an Emmy award for being an ‘Outstanding Commercial’. Apple has been advertising its ‘From one gift come many’  slogan on Apple store windows for a few weeks now, along with a seasonal Apple Online Store refresh.

Apple is also featuring the ad in iTunes.

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Comments

  1. The most important of all, where can I watch this ad? :D

  2. Tim LeVier - 10 years ago

    It’s just a little dusty in here. That’s all it is…

  3. Scott Tabbey (@stabbey) - 10 years ago

    The ad was one of Apple’s best. The holidays are incredibly hard for me without my grandma around and this ad just punches me in the heart. Way to go apple!

  4. RP - 10 years ago

    Too much. Not every commercial has to be so ham fisted with the schmaltz .Apple has to start toning it down, it’s like parody now.

  5. Lars Pallesen - 10 years ago

    Damn you Apple, you did it again! Brought a tear to my eye against my will!

  6. Mo Schmo (@AutoPill) - 10 years ago

    I liked last years better

  7. 1sugomac - 10 years ago

    “The ad depicts a young woman listening to a song on a record player, from her youth.” the ad depicts a young woman who finds a song recorded by her grandmother for her grandfather.

  8. kevicosuave - 10 years ago

    I’m fascinated by what Apple did not show in this ad. There’s no shot of Garageband, no shot of iTunes, and really the use of technology at all is brought down to the most minimal amount possible. When I first saw this I thought that Apple missed an opportunity to show what their tools could do, but then I realized that by stripping that out as much as they did, the focus becomes emotional and the tools/processes transparent, which equates to being simple, easy, and embedded into our lives.

    It’s really a brilliant ad, and even more brilliant when you consider this as the followup to last year’s Christmas ad where the iPhone was transitioned from tech to the emotional in a surprise twist.

  9. Alex (@Metascover) - 10 years ago

    Really really great. It’s so calm.

  10. Silence Dogood - 10 years ago

    **Sniff** Damn allergies!

  11. Jodi Baskoro - 10 years ago

    can anyone enlighten me on the name of the girl?

  12. dailycardoodle - 10 years ago

    I’m a little shocked the writer doesn’t understand the advert!

    “The ad depicts a young woman listening to a song on a record player, from her youth. The girl then learns the tune using their guitar, recording the tune on a Mac. The girl then leaves an iPad preloaded with the same song for an older relation, her grandmother, provoking the same emotions of her childhood and memories.”

    The vinyl was recorded by her grandma for her husband, the young girl’s grandad. The young girls learns the song, adds guitar and her own vocals and presents it back to her grandma on an iPad.

    I know benjamin looks young but c’mon! That young girl’s musical purchases would have been downloads or maybe CDs, not 1950’s records with crackle!

  13. Tona Spalato (@mojSplit) - 10 years ago

    Very sweet! Happy Holidays….

  14. lkernan - 10 years ago

    This one didn’t do it for me this year.
    I can’t put my finger on why but it just doesn’t have the same punch as last years to me.

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.


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