APPLE | Apple at Work - The Underdogs | 2019
Three Minutes Long, and Nobody Looks Away / Apple "The Underdogs"
Three minutes. It's basically a short film. It's just about four unremarkable office workers trying to turn an idea into something real in two days, but you end up completely absorbed and forget you're even watching an Apple ad.
The problem
Only 30% of Americans reportedly feel positive about their work, and that number drops to 13% worldwide. B2B is an unusually late category for Apple to enter. They wanted to re-energize people worn down by boring jobs.
The insight
Four people who are shy, a bit nerdy, easy to overlook in a crowd - but who turn into unstoppable forces once they're in their own zone. Everyone's seen people like this at work. The universal feeling of deadline pressure and underdog spirit closes the distance with viewers right away.
The idea
A woman spills her coffee and ends up accidentally pitching a "round box" idea to an executive, and then has to turn it into reality in just two days. She throws everything at it - iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch - racing from brainstorming to financial documents to prototypes. By the way, the pizza box that shows up in the film is a real Apple-patented box used internally, designed so the crust doesn't get soggy on the walk back.
What happened
Total views topped 69 million, awareness of Apple for Business rose by 13%, and sign-ups for the new service's beta program increased 5 times over. It won Gold, Silver, and Bronze at Cannes, and sequels followed in 2020 and 2022, making it a rare trilogy for Apple. The sequel "Escape from the Office" went on to win the Grand Prix in Film at Cannes in 2022.
Afterthought
Not many ads can hold your attention for a full three minutes. Because it's a real story instead of just listing products, it doesn't feel like advertising at all. The sheer intensity with which they portray those "two days from hell" that everyone's been through at some point is honestly impressive. I've got deadlines too, but I'll keep pushing through.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2019
