Apple's iPhone TV Ads: The Complete Campaign

Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign for the Macintosh computer, starring Justin Long and John Hodgman, set the bar for creativity in tech advertising. Created by TBWA\Media Arts Lab, it was simply the best TV ad campaign of the last decade, and the best advertising comedy series ever. But in its wake, client and agency have quietly built up a remarkable campaign for the iPhone, now the company's signature product. Without much fanfare, the iPhone campaign has surpassed its predecessor in terms of volume of work—"Get a Mac" lasted for 66 spots over four years (watch them all here), wrapping up its run in October 2009; the iPhone campaign is now entering its sixth year, and is up to 84 spots and counting. "Get a Mac" was beloved for its characters and wry humor. And while the iPhone work may lack that same level of charm—it is, at its heart, merely a series of product demonstrations—it is just as exquisitely produced and in many ways more varied. It's hard to think of a product that's had a greater impact on the culture in the past five years than the iPhone. Thanks to TBWA, it's gotten remarkable advertising to match. Below, check out all 84 spots that have aired so far, beginning with the first teaser up through today.

The first iPhone teaser spot, on the Oscars in 2007, stitches together movie and TV scenes with famous actors and actresses on the phone—Apple's first all-star cast since the "Think different" brand campaign of the mid-1990s. It's a stylish crowd-pleaser, yet different from everything that is to come.

Hello
Airdate: 3/2/07

"This is how you turn it on." The iPhone offers an experience so new, it needs the oldest marketing trick in the book to promote it—the product demonstration. Apple begins at the beginning, with four spots showing you just what an iPhone is—including how it's different from an iPod—and the basics of how to use it.
How To
Airdate: 6/4/07
Never Been
Airdate: 6/4/07
Calamari
Airdate: 6/4/07
Watered-Down Internet
Airdate: 7/2/07

The next four spots show off the variety of features that the built-in apps plus Internet provide—weather, traffic, travel, finance, all in a phone that's also an iPod. You lived "all these years" without this stuff, one spot admits. The question is: How?
All the Parts
Airdate: 8/9/07
All These Years
Airdate: 8/9/07
Amazing OK Go
Airdate: 8/9/07
Instead
Airdate: 8/9/07

Up next are six testimonials in which people—notably from all walks of life—explain how their iPhone has come through in a time of need. The spots invert Apple's traditional minimal color scheme, using a jet-black background instead of stark white.
One Thing
Airdate: 10/7/07
Mankind
Airdate: 10/9/07
Meredith
Airdate: 10/9/07
Delay
Airdate: 11/1/07
My Show
Airdate: 11/1/07
The Winger
Airdate: 11/1/07

Apple closes out its first year of iPhone advertising with a tribute to the skateboarding dog—and a reminder that YouTube is available on the iPhone, too.
Suprised
Airdate: 11/1/07

Six new spots in March 2008 revert to the original structure of a hand swiping through features of the device. The new ads suggest the iPhone can help you win bets against friends, get GPS-enabled directions, comparison shop for cars, change flights, and so on. One spot shows you how to use iTunes on the phone. And one focuses on Facebook—accessed at the time through Safari, as the Facebook for iPhone app is still several months away.

Cars
Airdate: 2/1/08
Facebook
Airdate: 2/1/08
The Great Thing
Airdate: 2/5/08
Bet
Airdate: 3/6/08
Music Store
Airdate: 3/6/08
Brilliant
Airdate: 3/26/08

Next up is a rare story-driven spot, which plays out like something from a spy movie, introducing the iPhone 3G.
Hallway
Airdate: 6/10/08

The marketing of the iPhone 3G begins in earnest, emphasizing the better speed and reduced cost of the next-generation gadget. One spot also stresses that the iPhone integrates well with your professional work flow.
Everyone
Airdate: 7/21/08
Unslow
Airdate: 7/21/08
Work Friendly
Airdate: 7/21/08

The rest of 2008 is given over to promoting the newly opened App Store, and the various early apps available in it. The first three spots begin by showing you how to download an app. Four more assume you've mastered that, and focus deeply on four apps in particular, from MLB, Loopt, Shazam and Urbanspoon.
Changes Everything / Lonely Planet
Airdate: 8/20/08
Changes Everything / Cro Mag
Airdate: 8/29/08
Changes Everything / Vicinity
Airdate: 8/29/08
Game Changer
Airdate: 10/8/08
Dilemmas / Urbanspoon
Airdate: 10/8/08
Dilemmas / Loopt
Airdate: 11/4/08
Dilemmas / Shazam
Airdate: 11/6/08

"There's an app for that." As the App Store continues to fill up with goodies, TBWA comes up with one of the great Apple marketing lines ever—which it uses through the whole first half of 2009.

Check
Airdate: 1/26/09
Read
Airdate: 1/26/09
Fix
Airdate: 3/11/09
Itchy
Airdate: 4/2/09
Office
Airdate: 4/2/09
Student
Airdate: 4/2/09

The spy-caper theme is back in the launch spot for the iPhone 3G S, the first model that's able to shoot video.
Break-In
Airdate: 6/12/09

Three more spots focus on features newly available in the iPhone 3G S—the video functionality, copy and paste, and voice control (a forerunner of Siri).
Skateboard
Airdate: 6/22/09
Copy and Paste
Airdate: 7/16/09
Voice Control
Airdate: 7/16/09

"There's an app for that" returns in three new spots focused on travel, data sharing, and sports.
Travel
Airdate: 7/31/09
Share
Airdate: 8/17/09
Avid
Airdate: 8/18/09

Another three spots ditch the "There's an app for that" line in favor of some parallel wordplay, in which iPhone apps—now numbering 75,000—are said to appeal to nature lovers, pizza lovers, and everyone in between.
Dine In / Dine Out
Airdate: 9/17/09
Nature Lovers / Pizza Lovers
Airdate: 9/18/09
Pass Test / Pass Time
Airdate: 9/18/09

Two more spots continue the same approach, except now the App Store is up to 100,000 apps.
Gift
Airdate: 11/17/09
Song
Airdate: 11/17/09

Another quick pair of spots show you everything you can do on the iPhone—while having someone on the line.
Multi-People
Airdate: 11/20/09
Where's the Movie
Airdate: 11/20/09

Apple wraps its 2009 iPhone marketing with a holiday spot.
12 Apps of Christmas
Airdate: 12/4/09

iPhone advertising gets democratic. Instead of the same single male voiceover speaking on behalf of the company, Apple turns the ads over to iPhone users, male and female, who tell stories of how the device is indispensable—in nine spots through the first half of the year.

Family Travel
Airdate: 2/19/10
First Steps
Airdate: 2/19/10
On Hold
Airdate: 2/19/10
Commute
Airdate: 4/2/10
Concert
Airdate: 4/2/10
Shopper
Airdate: 4/12/10
Backpackers
Airdate: 4/15/10
Dog Lover
Airdate: 4/15/10
Family Man
Airdate: 4/15/10

The iPhone 4 makes its debut. But instead of a traditional introductory launch spot, Apple crafts four narrative spots focused on FaceTime, the face-to-face video-calling feature.
Big News
Airdate: 7/12/10
Hair Cut
Airdate: 7/12/10
Meet Her
Airdate: 7/12/10
Smile
Airdate: 7/12/10

Four months after the FaceTime spots, this ad touts the extended life of the iPhone 4's lithium polymer battery.
Longer
Airdate: 11/18/10

Apple closes out 2010 with another holiday spot. This time, a boy connects with a very familiar Santa Claus through FaceTime.
Under the Covers
Airdate: 12/13/10

The new year begins on an artful note, with two iPhones waltzing together.

Waltz
Airdate: 1/21/11

"If you don't have an iPhone…" TBWA comes up with another strong line, this time to distinguish the Apple product from the new generation of would-be iPhone killers. In seven spots through the first half of 2011, the campaign uses the line to emphasize software and hardware available only on the iPhone.
App Store
Airdate: 3/15/11
Game Center
Airdate: 3/15/11
iBooks
Airdate: 4/8/11
iPod + iTunes
Airdate: 4/8/11
Retina
Airdate: 4/8/11
Airplay
Airdate: 6/30/11
Facetime
Airdate: 6/30/11

The iPhone 4 S launches, and with it, the age of Siri. Two new narrative spots talk up the iPhone's new personal assistant. Two more focus on the device's new camera and iCloud capability.
Siri Assistant
Airdate: 10/20/11
Siri Snow Today
Airdate: 10/30/11
Camera
Airdate: 10/30/11
iCloud
Airdate: 10/30/11

A third year with an iPhone holiday spot. This time, Santa Claus uses Siri to find his way on Christmas Eve.
Siri Santa
Airdate: 12/18/11