Apple Releases 'The Surprise' Holiday Ad
Apple has an annual tradition of sharing a heartwarming holiday-themed video ahead of Thanksgiving in the United States, and this morning, Apple released its newest holiday video on YouTube.
The video starts out with a family that has two complaining kids going on a holiday trip, with the kids fighting until the iPads come out. The family arrives at their grandfather's house, who is still mourning the loss of his wife. The girls spend time with their grandfather and find old family photos, eventually putting together a slideshow of family memories and presenting it as a holiday gift to their grandfather.
The ad is designed to show off some of the capabilities of the iPad, such as creating and displaying a photo slideshow.It features the song "Married Life" by Michael Giacchino, which was used in well-known Disney Pixar film "Up."
"Sometimes, the best gifts can come from the most unexpected places," reads the tagline, with Apple linking to the iPad section of its website.
Many of Apple's holiday ads have won awards and accolades in the past. Last year's video was an animated spot featuring music from 16-year-old songwriter Billie Eilish, while in 2017, Apple did an ad featuring a woman dancing through a snowy city.
Popular Stories
Wednesday September 2, 2026 10:25 am PDT by
Juli CloverApple today shared a short video featuring an Apple Watch user named Amanda who says her device saved her life.
In 2024, Amanda began receiving alerts about an abnormal heart rate. Her watch alerted her about changes to her resting heart rate and her overnight vitals, prompting her to visit her doctor.
She ended up being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer. After...
The One Club for Creativity, a U.S. non-profit organization that promotes excellence in advertising and design, today announced that Apple has been selected as the first brand to be inducted into its newly established "Brand Hall of Fame."
Apple's most famous ads include its iconic "1984" Super Bowl commercial for the original Macintosh, the "Think Different" campaign from the late 1990s, the...
Ads in Apple Maps are live in the United States and Canada, which means iPhone and iPad users will see them when searching for locations and when viewing Suggested Places.
Apple announced plans to bring ads to the Maps app in March, and said the feature would roll out starting in late summer. Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac that ads began showing up for users over the last few days, with ad...