In Apple's Poignant Holiday Ad, an iPad Offers a Family Far More Than Distraction

The brand gets real about the toils of travel and the gift of keeping memories alive

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When it comes to ads about holiday travel, most skip past all the messy and frustrating bits, jumping instead right to the perfectly inviting family home waiting at the other end of the journey.

Apple takes a different—and far more realistic—approach in its 2019 holiday ad, “The Surprise.” Filmed in a real home (not a soundstage) and starring real sisters, the 3-minute spot tells the story of family’s visit to a grandfather who recently lost his wife.

Visually,

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