Apple Intelligence highlights very human flaws in new campaign

Apple’s awaited entry into the AI world arrives with ads that showcase human quirks and foibles—but is this the right approach?

Apple has introduced "Apple Intelligence," an AI-powered productivity tool, with a relatable and humorous campaign designed by TBWA\Media Arts Lab and directed by David Shane. The ads, featuring Bella Ramsey of ‘The Last of Us’, highlight everyday struggles, showing how Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro can help users in real-time.

Each ad revolves around common scenarios where Apple Intelligence steps in. One spot features a character who casually types an overly informal message to his boss. Realising it’s a bit too laid-back, he uses Apple Intelligence’s "professional" setting to turn the message into a more polished and formal one.

In another, a mum who forgot her husband’s birthday uses the AI feature to create a heartwarming, last-minute video montage from photos and videos of their daughters. Both situations demonstrate Apple Intelligence’s integration with iPhone to offer solutions to everyday challenges.

Our take

This new campaign marks a shift for Apple, moving from its typical minimalist or high-energy product-focused messaging to a narrative approach that humanises AI. By showing Apple Intelligence in amusing, relatable situations, Apple aims to make AI feel more accessible and helpful rather than impersonal or intimidating.

But, we have to wonder whether erasing human flaws in favour of a socially acceptable ‘perfection’ will be seen as robbing humans of some lovable quirks. On the one hand, the scenarios are genuinely useful and relatable, but on the other, they can be seen as ‘sanitising’ our foibles.

Meanwhile, there’s been some ‘shots fired’ by Samsung in response to Apple’s entry into AI. Its ad, featuring Jayden Smith, hints at the brand’s functional superiority, underscored by some tense classical music.