Last December Apple released a TV ad titled ‘Misunderstood’, a touching commercial showcasing the iPhone 5s, iMovie and the Apple TV. The snowy backdrop of the 90-second ad features a winter wonderland, which only those in Alberta will recognize as Edmonton.
The commercial created by TWBA/Media Arts Lab and Apple has been nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy in the ‘Outstanding Television Commercial’ category, according to Ad Age.
The Edmonton Journal has more details about the ad, which actually features the entire family and extended family of Chris Ippolito, a Calgary-based film and TV actor, who plays the dad in the commercial, alongside his actress wife (the mother), their two-year old daughter (the baby sister) and his parents (the grandparents), which he described as the following:
“They’re not professional actors. They’re a professional mom and dad. When asked to help their children, they’re required to do some strange things.”
Ippolito recruited 23 members—not including the two family dogs—from his side and his wife’s side of the family, which included his three siblings, his in-laws, sister-in-law, his nieces and nephews and cousin, with ages ranging from 9 months to 64 years old. Now that’s what you call a family affair.
The only person not related to the Ippolito clan was actor Logan Riley Bruner, the American actor who played the ‘misunderstood’ teen in the ad spot.
When the ad aired publicly, members of the family started to get recognized in town, such as Ippolito’s mother at the grocery store and his niece seeing people view her making snow angels on the Macs in her school’s computer lab. But since they all signed non-disclosure agreements, they couldn’t talk about their roles in the ad. Only this Emmy nomination has granted Ippolito some leeway in discussing his role in the production.
Apple has removed the ad from its YouTube channel, but you can still view it below thanks to the internet:
Here is the full version of the video that was shown on the Apple TV, created by the ‘misunderstood’ son:
Despite TBWA/Media Arts Lab and Apple being nominated for this ad spot, rumours from earlier this month claim the latter is unhappy with their ad agency and possibly looking to part ways, which would severe a 30 year business relationship. Apple was also reported to have increased its own in-house creative team to compete against TBWA/Media Arts Lab.
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will take place on August 16, nine days before the more well-known Primetime Emmy Awards.
Thanks @MeadorsMusings!
