Screw the backlash: here’s why Apple’s music is crushing it

Amidst all the reactions around Apple’s Crush ad – some loving, most despising, and the entire industry holding an opinion one way or the other – no one has talked about the music.

There is no doubt that Apple’s music strategy has consistently been brilliant, often transforming its ad soundtracks from ordinary to extraordinary. Consider the brand’s product advertisements for new iPhones and iPads that launched unknown songs into the charts and encouraged a whole era of copycat slots.

Amidst all the reactions around Apple’s Crush ad, no one has talked about the music.

While the music choice in Apple’s recent spot may not have had the intended impact, the company's overall music strategy is still one of the most brilliant in the industry.

Above: Apple's recent spot, Crush, caused a backlash as it was seen as an attack on human creativity and real-world artistry. 

Strategy, exclusivity, intrigue

Consider Apple's 2018 HomePod ad, featuring FKA twigs. The ad highlights the smart speaker’s capabilities with Anderson .Paak’s then-new song Til’ It’s Over. The music perfectly complements the narrative: FKA twigs, exhausted after a hard day at work, returns to her apartment and is revitalised by what’s playing through her HomePod. The repetitive lyrics, such as “I’ma ride it 'til it’s over,” work seamlessly to accentuate Spike Jonze’s technicolour, kaleidoscopic videography.

[The] blend of music and visuals creates a colourful, extraordinary dance sequence, highlighting the transformative power of music and the HomePod's capabilities.

This blend of music and visuals creates a colourful, extraordinary dance sequence, highlighting the transformative power of music and the HomePod's capabilities. The track's initial exclusivity on Apple Music also served as a subtle promotion for the brand’s streaming service. This strategic move added a feeling of rarity and intrigue to the ad, encouraging viewers to subscribe to Apple Music for access to unique and engaging content. Through smart marketing, Apple not only showcased the HomePod’s capabilities but also reinforces its integrated ecosystem of products and services.

Above: The music in Apple Homepod's FKA twigs-starring film "worked seamlessly to accentuate Spike Jonze’s technicolour, kaleidoscopic videography."

Reveal the product, reach the audience

Apple’s music strategy consistently aims for the unpredictable, often choosing lesser known tracks, deep cuts or a genre that might initially seem out of sync with the content. This is true of its product reveal spots, where modern trap and bass music frequently set the tone.

Apple's use of heavy, bombastic tracks transformed what might be seen as a dull announcement into an epic event.

Traditionally, product launch films used lighter, tech-sounding electronic music. However, Apple's use of heavy, bombastic tracks in their own slots transformed what might be seen as a dull announcement into an epic event, and set the stage for a new trend in product launch spots to emerge. The tougher, more bass-heavy feel of the music intentionally mimics the vibe of a Nike sneaker drop commercial, for example, making the product feel more relevant and aspirational.

The origins of this music style being used in Apple commercials can be dated back to 2014, when an unreleased Hudson Mohawke track, Chimes, was used in a MacBook Air spot. The internet quickly lit up with demands for the track's release, highlighting Apple's ability to resonate precisely with its key audiences through music. This heavier, more progressive sound has inspired many a copycat commercial since.

Above: This 2014 MacBook spot highlights "Apple's ability to resonate precisely with its key audiences through music".

Adding new layers of meaning

It feels essential at this point to examine Apple’s latest, and arguably most incendiary spot, Crush. On the whole, it has not been all that popular. And maybe no one really noticed the music against an all-consuming rage at seeing their favourite physical artistic implements being destroyed. But, nonetheless, you can’t deny the music choice still aligns with Apple’s long term music strategy.

Maybe no one really noticed the music against an all-consuming rage at seeing their favourite physical artistic implements being destroyed. 

Let's start with the era this Sonny & Cher track originates from: 1971. Ironically, Apple chose a track from a time when music production literally required rooms full of engineers equipped with acres of analog gear. Throughout the spot, the music inadvertently reminds us of the era it comes from, subtly suggesting that creative processes like this are now well and truly a thing of antiquity.

Going a layer deeper, there are then Cher’s seemingly menacing warblings. As we listen to "Give me a reason to build my world around you" playing from the soon-to-be obliterated Technics turntable, we witness that 'reason' commence - essentially the end of creative physicality, symbolised by the unnecessary destruction of a perfectly curated collection of nostalgic artefacts.