“A weightlifter who plays the majorette”: Apple's funny ad for its M4 chips

© Apple

Apple and advertising, it's a crazy love story. As proof, the 1984 spot for the Macintosh remains one of the most emblematic in the history of advertising.

For the release of its latest Macs, the company is highlighting the power of the new M4 chips in an ad that doesn't reach the level of 1984 but whose humor doesn't leave you indifferent.

Produced by the Megaforce collective, it features a weightlifter, played by stuntman Steven Shelby, who handles massive weights with disconcerting ease, as if they were simple majorette batons.

This unusual choreography required training that was at least as original as the ad itself. The athlete was indeed coached by Yvonne “Bonnie” Palacios, six-time baton twirling world champion, and worked closely with Denna Thomsen, a renowned Hollywood choreographer.

This visual metaphor is meant to illustrate how the new M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips can handle the most demanding workloads with ease. The message is clear: Just as a weightlifter transforms a brute force exercise into a fluid performance of art, M4 processors enable MacBook Pro and Mac mini to handle the most demanding tasks with effortless elegance.

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A production licked with nostalgic accents

The soundtrack is part of this search for originality and humor. The spot broadcasts the emblematic title “You Gotta Be” by Des’ree, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The narration is entrusted to Johnny Weir, Olympic figure skater turned legendary commentator, whose voice brings a touch of wit and warmth to the story. His commentary follows the progression of the ;athlete, building a crescendo that echoes the rise of M4 processors.

This unexpected combination of strength sports, twirling and cutting-edge technology is a first. Apple has thus achieved the feat of making a subject as seemingly bland as microprocessors sexy, by drawing on the emotion of surpassing oneself and accomplishment.

An ambitious marketing strategy

This campaign will be deployed worldwide on television channels, digital platforms and social networks. It is part of a desire to highlight not only the raw power of the new MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini, but also their ability to combine exceptional performance and compact design.

By choosing to move away from traditional technical demonstrations in favor of a creative and emotional approach, Apple is confirming its mastery of storytelling marketing. To die for!

• Apple launches spectacular ad featuring a weightlifter twirling weights to illustrate the power of its new M4 chips
• The production benefits from careful direction by Megaforce and narration by Olympic skater Johnny Weir
• The campaign will be rolled out worldwide and marks an industry first by making the subject of microprocessors attractive to the general public

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