Apple tugs heartstrings with their new holiday-themed advertisement promoting the new AirPods Pro, depicting a father with moderate hearing loss watching his daughter grow up.
Directed by Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Henry-Alex Rubin, the ad is titled ‘Heartstrings’ and was released ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which took place on December 3.
It opens with the father experiencing the world in muffled tones, his hearing loss conveyed through sound design by Academy Award-winning Paul N.J. Ottosson that reflects his internal isolation. As he watches his daughter open a new guitar on Christmas morning, he reminisces memories from her childhood – her first guitar, birthday celebrations, and many school milestones. However, these moments feel distant and fragmented.
The father than activated the AirPods’ hearing aid feature and suddenly, the sound of his daughter playing ‘Our House’ by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fills the room. For the first time, he heard her clearly and accurately, adding a heartwarming touch to this simple holiday moment.
‘Heartstrings’ has taken real-world inspiration and drawn parallels from the lived experiences of its cast. In particular, the actor playing the father reportedly has moderate hearing loss in real life, adding a genuine layer to Apple’s narrative.
Watch Apple’s ‘Heartstrings’ ad below:
“For so many of us, sound and how we hear help shape the way we connect to the world around us. Yet, people with hearing loss wait an average of 10 years before getting their hearing tested and fitted for hearing aids. Leaving millions unaware they’re living with hearing loss and without the assistance they need,” Apple said.
“Now with the world’s first end-to-end hearing health experience, you have access to a Hearing Test that provides scientifically validated results within minutes and the ability to activate a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature on your AirPods Pro 2 — right from home.”
The ad has garnered much attention on social media and received over 12 million views on YouTube alone.
