In a world where advertising often feels like a competition to see who can check the most woke boxes, Apple’s latest ad for its AirPods Pro 2 is a refreshing return to something long-missed: genuine storytelling.
The commercial, titled “Heartstrings,” is a heartfelt ode to family, and judging by its reception, it’s striking a chord with millions of viewers who are ready to embrace messages of love and tradition over divisive identity politics.
Unlike the usual Hollywood trope of portraying fathers as clueless buffoons, Apple centers this ad on a loving father with hearing loss. The two-minute spot opens on Christmas morning, where the muffled sounds of unwrapping gifts and family chatter simulate the father’s perspective. As he watches his daughter open presents, memories of her childhood flash before his eyes, all tinged with the same muted audio that conveys the isolation of his hearing loss. Enter the AirPods Pro 2 and their hearing aid feature, which suddenly transforms his world. Now, he hears her clearly as she strums a guitar and sings “Our House,” a song that underscores the warmth of family.
By the end, the father looks at his daughter with tears in his eyes, and you might just have a tear in yours too. It’s simple, it’s powerful, and—shockingly—it’s not trying to shove a political agenda down your throat.
Social media has taken notice. The ad racked up nearly 8 million views on YouTube and drew praise from unlikely quarters. Apple CEO Tim Cook touted the technology behind the feature, and even Elon Musk chimed in with a rare, simple compliment: “This is cool.” Benny Johnson, a conservative podcaster, went so far as to call it “the single greatest pro-parenting ad in the history of American advertising.” For a brand like Apple, which hasn’t always shied away from progressive virtue-signaling, this ad feels like a deliberate pivot toward unity and shared human experiences.
“Great commercial. Touching. Family oriented. Not woke!” another agreed.
“I don’t know what’s better. The commercial, or the fact that we pushed the culture back to sanity where woke companies are realizing their ideologies were rejected by the American people,” another posted.
Compare this to last month’s disaster from Jaguar—a hyper-woke ad that alienated its audience by prioritizing pandering over selling cars. The contrast couldn’t be starker. Apple’s ad isn’t just a tech demo; it’s a cultural reset. It’s pro-family, pro-fatherhood, and—most importantly—pro-humanity.
Whether Apple has truly turned a corner or simply saw the writing on the wall after years of cultural backlash remains to be seen. But for now, this ad feels like a victory for those who’ve been calling for a return to sanity in advertising. It proves that connecting with audiences on a universal, emotional level isn’t just good storytelling—it’s good business.
