Apple's iPhone TV Ads: The Complete Campaign The story behind all 86 TBWA spots so far, beginning with the first teaser
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. [Note: We are updating this feature as more iPhone ads are released. The count is now 86.] "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 the 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.
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.
Airdate: 6/4/07
Airdate: 6/4/07
Airdate: 6/4/07
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?
Airdate: 8/9/07
Airdate: 8/9/07
Airdate: 8/9/07
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.
Airdate: 10/7/07
Airdate: 10/9/07
Airdate: 10/9/07
Airdate: 11/1/07
Airdate: 11/1/07
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.
Airdate: 11/1/07
AdFreak is your daily digest of the best and worst of creativity in advertising, media, marketing and design. Follow us as we celebrate (and skewer) the latest, greatest, quirkiest and freakiest commercials, promos, trailers, posters, billboards, logos and package designs around. Edited by Adweek's Tim Nudd. Updated every weekday, with a weekly recap on Saturdays.

















