Apple: Case study

Credits & Description:

Brand APPLE
Entrant TBWA\MEDIA ARTS LAB LOS ANGELES
TBWA\Media Arts Lab Los Angeles, USA Entrant Company
TBWA\Media Arts Lab Los Angeles, USA Idea Creation
MJZ Los Angeles, USA Production
OMD USA Los Angeles, USA Media Placement
FINAL CUT Los Angeles, USA Additional Company
FRAMESTORE Los Angeles, USA Additional Company
Brent Anderson TBWA\Media Arts Lab Chief Creative Officer
Arnau Bosch TBWA\Media Arts Lab Creative Director
Robbin Ingvarsson TBWA\Media Arts Lab Associate Creative Director / Art Director
Kako Mendez TBA\Media Arts Lab Associate Creative Director / Copywriter
Peymon Maskan TBWA\Media Arts Lab Global Music Director
Josh Marcy TBWA\Media Arts Lab Sr. Music Supervisor
Spike Jonze MJZ Director
Jeff Buchanan Final Cut Editor
Adam Smalley MJZ Music Editor
Anderson .Paak Anderson .Paak Artist / Composer
Michael Uzowuru Michael Uzowuru Composer
Jeff Kleinman Jeff Kleinman Composer
Published: March 2018
Synopsis
In 2018, Apple launched HomePod. A smart-speaker that can re-architect the acoustics of any space to deliver the highest-fidelity sound. Coupled with the intelligence of Siri and Apple Music integration, HomePod takes the home listening experience to a whole new level for anyone who loves and respects music.
Strategy
Generate buzz around our new speaker while simultaneously generating excitement around the song featured, a new release from rising star Anderson Paak. Puling from Apple ability to introduce audiences to new artists, we wanted to identify a rising star who would generate curiosity and also work perfectly with our creative execution.
Relevancy
As a brand that is deeply rooted in music culture, Apple had to prove that HomePod understands the role of music in our living space. We conceived this story as a piece of music entertainment, drawing inspiration from music videos, and organically integrated HomePod into the narrative. To bring the story to life, we partnered with legendary director Spike Jonze and several talents from all fields in the music industry. The result is a four minute musical fantasy that connected with music lovers in a way no other smart-speaker ad in the market has managed to do.
Outcome
Within 24 hours, Welcome Home catapulted HomePod into global pop culture, skyrocketed to #1 Trending on YouTube organically, where it trended for 14 days to become the most watched piece of branded entertainment of March 2018 in that platform. The film took the internet by storm, generating more than 900 articles across international mass media, sparking hundreds of thousands of spontaneous reactions on social media. Feeds where splashed with colorful fan art inspired by the most iconic moments in the story. ’Til It’s Over by Anderson .Paak raised to the top of the charts across radio stations and music online channels. Pitchfork named Welcome Home the best music video of March 2018.
Execution
A four minute film. Directed by Spike Jonze. Starring FKA twigs. Soundtrack by Anderson Paak. “Welcome Home” demonstrates the immersive listening experience HomePod can deliver in any home. We worked closely with the song producer Micheal Uzowuru to develop the song as we wrote and storyboarded the spot. New moments were written into the script, while Michael added/adjusted the song to create parallel moments. When we got onto set, further adjustments were made to the track as the final choreography and design choices were made. 'Til It's Over' by Anderson Paak was exclusively released and only available in Apple Music during the first four weeks after launch. After Welcome Home aired, it became the #1 most listened track of March 2018.
Campaign Description
A four minute film. Directed by Spike Jonze. Starring FKA twigs. Soundtrack by Anderson Paak. “Welcome Home” demonstrates the immersive listening experience HomePod can deliver in any home. It’s ultimately a universal tale about the effect sound and music has in our living space, told through movement and dance. The emotional journey of the character is reflected by the colorful transformation of the physical environment, providing an epic feel to a very intimate story.