Apple’s new Macbook ads won’t make anyone angry

One of the hallmarks of Apple advertising is how it has so consistently been able to fit story, humor, and emotion into what is actually a glorified product demo. In a new series of three Macbook ads, Apple uses creepy vibe comedy to show us the laptop’s processing power, battery life, and security features.









Helmed by award-winning director Tom Kuntz, all three spots take place on a college campus. In “Charged,” a skeptical professor voices his doubts that a student’s Macbook can last all day on a single charge. For “Powered,” a librarian not only questions the laptop’s ability to handle multiple apps and large files, but also the student’s cutlery design. And in “Found,” another prof (played by gold standard character actor Gary Farmer) wonders about lost computers and self-discovery.









Short, sweet, and not all likely to incite a torrent of rage—which is exactly what Apple wants after the iPad “Crush” debacle earlier this month, in which the brand admitted it had missed the mark , and apologized.



One significant difference between “Crush” and these new ads is who made them. Apple’s in-house creative team created “Crush,” while the new ads were done by the brand’s long-time agency TBWA/Media Arts Lab.









In-house vs. Agency



Some interpreted “Crush,” as a sign of brand hubris—or at least a sign of an internal creative team that’s out of touch. But some of Apple’s best work has come from its internal marketing team. Apple has been effectively balancing between agency creative and its own for years now.



Its award-winning series of ads “ The Underdogs ” (debuted in 2019, and subsequent follow-ups in 2020 , 2022 , and 2023 ) was made in-house. And last week, Apple’s team created a series of three ads for the Apple Card that, much like the new Macbook ads, combine an everyday situation with a dash of absurdity.









This is less a battle between in-house creative and agency creative, and appears to be Apple just plowing forward and hoping to rinse the taste of “Crush” out with a collection of small, charming spots that remind us of what Apple ads are good at in the first place.