Apple released a new “Behind the Mac” ad today, which is essentially a black and white slideshow of celebrities on MacBooks. The simplicity of the ad works, though—the familiar faces, often illuminated by the light of the computer screen, send a powerful message. If these people rely on Apple products, then why shouldn’t everyone?
The photos are all from found footage, Apple explains in its description of the video on YouTube. The ad is just over a minute long and is set to Raury’s Take Back the Power. A voiceover describes a “certain kind of person … who doesn’t wait for greatness” as the images of more than a dozen well-known musicians, activists, artists, scientists and industry leaders flash across the screen.
The famous faces include: Kendrick Lamar, Gloria Steinem, Billie Eilish, Jonathan Van Ness, Lady Gaga, Serena Williams, RuPaul, Tarana Burke, Spike Lee, Stephen Colbert, Pharrell Williams, Takashi Murakami, Solange Knowles, Jane Goodall, Donald Glover and Iris Apfel.
The spot’s release today coincides with Apple’s latest product drop during a virtual event held this morning from its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. The tech giant unveiled an upgraded version of its MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro and Mac mini today, each with a new, Apple-designed M1 chip.
Calling the new chip a “breakthrough” that was years in the making, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement that the new product delivers “mind-blowing performance, extraordinary battery life, and access to more software and apps than ever before” when combined with the brand’s new operating system, Big Sur.