TL;DR: Apple’s latest ad, Someday, directed by Spike Jonze, proves why the brand still leads in emotional marketing. More than an ad, it’s a cultural moment—using heartbreak, stunning visuals, and immersive sound to showcase the AirPods 4. With Adaptive Audio, smarter noise cancellation, and an IP54 rating, the AirPods 4 continue Apple’s tradition of blending technology with experience.
Apple doesn’t just make ads. It creates cultural moments. For a while, it felt like that edge was slipping. But with Someday, directed by Spike Jonze, Apple proves once again that a product launch can be an emotional gut punch—using the universal weight of heartbreak to amplify its brand moment, without ever feeling cliché.
At its core, Someday is an ad for AirPods 4 and their Active Noise Cancellation feature. But calling it an ad is almost an insult. This is a five and a half minute gem in visual storytelling, sound design, and emotional resonance—something most brands chase but rarely capture.
When Advertising Feels Like Cinema
Jonze doesn’t sell. He seduces. His work aligns perfectly with Apple’s broader marketing strategy—less about specs, more about emotional impact.
Rather than listing product features, Apple crafts a narrative that immerses the viewer, making the technology feel essential to the experience rather than just another device.
The opening moments of Someday are cold, restrained, and heavy. Pedro Pascal sits alone in a café, swallowed by the noise of everyday life—the clatter of plates, the distant hum of a city that never quiets. The colour grading leans into the moment, all washed-out blues and greys, evoking the kind of isolation we all know too well.
Then, a shift. The AirPods go in, and the world transforms. Noise fades. The grey-scale palette dissolves into golden hues. The rigid, static shots loosen into fluid movement. The weight on Pascal’s shoulders lifts, his steps gain lightness, and his expression softens. Jonze doesn’t need dialogue to tell us what’s happening—we feel it.
It’s a storytelling device Apple has mastered. The AirPods aren’t the main character; the feeling they create is. It’s a subtle but powerful distinction—one that transforms a standard product showcase into a universally resonant moment.
The Sound of Silence (And Why It Matters)
Apple’s AirPods have always been about seamless integration into life, but Someday takes that idea deeper. Sound design plays a starring role here. The first half of the ad is filled with the unrelenting noise of life—dishes, distant conversations, street sounds. It’s a sensory overload we all recognise. Because sometimes, the world just needs to be quiet.
Living in the centre of Lisbon, noise-cancelling headphones speak to me. Sometimes I just want to switch out the sirens and horns of rush hour traffic arduously flooding through Avenida da Liberdade when taking my dog for a walk. In fact, the BBC recently published an article on the effects sound is having on our health. Prof Charlotte Clark, from St George's, University of London, shared, 'It is a public health crisis, we've got huge numbers of people exposed in their everyday life.' She continues, 'You never turn your ears off; when you're asleep, you're still listening. So those responses, like your heart rate going up, that's happening whilst you're asleep.'"
But the moment Pascal activates Noise Cancellation, there’s a visceral shift. The background noise vanishes, replaced by a dreamy, almost otherworldly reality. It’s not just silence; it’s clarity. It’s the power to reclaim a moment for yourself. And that’s why, beyond just the storyline of loss, this ad holds you until the very end—and lingers. It’s not one you’ll be skipping after the obligatory five seconds on YouTube. Sometimes, we all need to escape the relentless hum of reality. And this ad scratches that itch perfectly.
Jonze understands better than anyone that sound—or the absence of it—can be more powerful than words. Here, he wields it masterfully.
This, of course, isn’t Jonze’s first collaboration directing an ad for Apple. Jonze’s 2018 Welcome Home ad for the HomePod, featuring FKA Twigs, was equally stunning—a surreal, visually fluid piece that won the Cannes Lions Grand Prix in Music.
Someday builds on that legacy.
Produced by TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Apple's long-standing advertising partner, Someday continues the brand’s tradition of working with directors to create ads that feel more like cultural moments than marketing campaigns.
Why This Ad Matters for Apple
Apple is no stranger to setting the bar for advertising, but Someday arrives at a pivotal moment. Once a category-defining product, AirPods face intense competition from Sony, Bose, and a wave of lower-cost alternatives. This campaign is as much about reaffirming Apple’s dominance as it is about selling earbuds, proving that AirPods remain a cultural and aspirational icon.
The AirPods 4 aren’t a high-end, over-ear release like the AirPods Max—which makes the level of effort behind this ad all the more striking. Instead, they are Apple’s most accessible wireless earphones, priced at $179. By crafting an ad that feels bigger than the product itself, Apple reasserts why AirPods remain culturally relevant.
The feeling of luxury—rather than price—defines premium products today, and Someday taps into exactly that. Apple understands that consumers don’t buy AirPods for their technical specifications; they buy into a seamless, elevated experience. This is where many brands miss the mark—focusing on features rather than forging emotional connections.
Apple, here, sells why the product matters, making it aspirational rather than transactional. Apple has long positioned even its most accessible products as premium experiences, reinforcing the idea that luxury isn’t just about cost—it’s about how a product makes you feel and how seamlessly it integrates into your life. It’s not just about the tech; it’s about controlling your environment, shifting your mood, and transforming how you move through the world.
Someday is effective not because it’s selling a better version of a product we already know, but because it taps into something deeply human: the desire to escape, to curate our environment, to find a moment of peace in the chaos.
And that’s why this ad may just reignite Apple’s edge.
What are the features/specs of the new Airpods 4?
The AirPods 4 refine Apple’s approach to wireless audio with smarter noise management and enhanced connectivity. Powered by the H2 chip, they deliver improved sound quality and more efficient pairing across Apple devices. The introduction of Adaptive Audio blends Active Noise Cancellation with Transparency mode, adjusting in real-time to surroundings. Conversation Awareness lowers media volume when users speak, creating a more seamless transition between listening and interacting. With an IP54 rating for dust, sweat, and water resistance, plus up to 30 hours of battery life with ANC turned off, they’re designed for all-day use in a variety of environments.
Credits
Agency: TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Los Angeles
Director: Spike Jonze
Production Company: MJZ
Post-Production: TRAFIK
Audio Post-Production Company: Squeak E. Clean
Editing: Final Cut
Director of Photography: Jasper Wolf
Music: “Conticinio” by Guitarricadelafuente
“Perfect” by Sam i, with Tropkillaz ft. Bia & MC Pikachu
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