Apple’s emotional holiday ad follows the journey of a father living with hearing loss, as the brand continues to highlight its accessible technology for people with disabilities.

Created by Apple’s long-standing agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab, ‘Heartstrings’ launches on Thursday (November 28) ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3. It’s Apple’s latest effort to promote disability representation in advertising.

The film is a story told in two parts. The first half reveals the perspective of a father with moderate hearing loss. Through muted audio that reflects his condition, he watches his daughter open a new guitar on Christmas morning and recalls childhood milestones, from her first guitar to birthdays and the first day of school.

The perspective changes after he activates the Hearing Aid function on his AirPods Pro 2. Now that he can hear clearly, he is fully present during his daughter’s rendition of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Our House.”

The ad was directed by Henry-Alex Rubin. The sound design was by Academy Award winner Paul NJ Ottosson, who focused on sound frequencies and volume to authentically capture the experience of moderate hearing loss.

In September, Apple received approval from the FDA to sell the AirPods Pro 2 as over-the-counter hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

The holiday campaign will take place globally across broadcasts, digital platforms and social media.

A legacy of representation

Apple has previously emphasized disability representation by using emotional storytelling to showcase its accessible technology.

Earlier this year, ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the brand called for equality and accessibility in sport with a film depicting Paralympics competing in a relay race.

The 2023 ad, directed by Taika Waititi, was a magical fable about speech accessibility.