Bronze
Branded Entertainment
Documentary Short Film
Entrant: | TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Los Angeles |
Brand: | Apple |
Title: | "Shot on iPhone - Usher Super Bowl" |
Corporate Name of Sponsoring Client: | Apple |
Client Company: | Apple |
Media Company: | OMD , Los Angeles |
Agency: | TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Los Angeles |
Global Chief Creative Officer: | Brent Anderson |
Executive Creative Director: | Greg Greenberg |
Creative Director: | John Finely |
Associate Creative Directors: | Carlyle Garrick/Geovanny Panchame |
Senior Copywriter: | Zoe Greenblatt |
Senior Art Director: | Belise Thomas |
Agency Head of Design: | James Taylor |
Agency Global Chief Production Officer: | Brian O'Rouke |
Agency Executive Producer: | Ian Kelly |
Agency Producer: | Adam Sarraga |
Agency Assistant Producers: | Nathan Galligani/Rachel Siegel |
Agency Editors: | Sean O'Brien/Mandy Wong |
Agency Music Director: | Josh Marcy |
Agency Music Supervisor: | Marielle Te |
Agency Music Coordinator: | Gio Thomas |
Agency Chief Strategy Officer: | Beth Keamy |
Agency Account Executive: | Miranda Carr |
Agency Account Supervisor: | Roxanne Baker |
Agency Group Account Director: | Dan Wallace |
Agency Account Director: | Andrew Collins |
Agency Executive Strategy Director: | Phillip Lee |
Agency Senior Strategist: | Abby Sisk |
Agency Interactive Strategist: | Sally McGrath |
Agency Global Chief Communications Officer: | Lu Borges |
Agency Communications Manager: | Daniella Morrison |
Production Company: | HPLA |
Director: | Mike Carson |
Executive Producers: | Ryan Hahn/Laney Camenga |
Edit Facility: | Cartel |
Editors: | Kyle Valenta/Dan Sherwen |
Color Company: | TRAFIK |
Sound Design Companies: | Model Citizen, Formosa |
Design Director: | Lara Juriansz |
Senior Designer: | Jackie Rodriguez |
Description:
This year, that spotlight shone brightly on none other than Usher, heralded as the king of R&B.
In a groundbreaking collaboration, Apple Music has stepped in as the official sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show, aiming to revolutionize the viewer experience.
Our mission? To immerse music enthusiasts in an unprecedented journey behind the scenes, offering an intimate glimpse into every facet of the performance's creation, from the intense rehearsals to the electrifying final act—all captured through the lens of the iPhone 15.
The brief was ambitious: showcase the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show like we’ve never seen it before and shoot it all on iPhone.
With the iPhone 15 Pro serving as Apple’s most cinematic camera yet, we wanted to push it to its limits on music’s biggest stage, bringing a new perspective to a familiar show.
Traditionally, live performances are tailored for traditional broadcast and stadium cameras, resulting in a predictable viewing experience.
However, our ambition transcended the norm. We sought to redefine live entertainment, presenting audiences with a dynamic and cinematic perspective previously unseen.
We not only aimed to elevate the art of performance but also to showcase the unparalleled professional quality of the iPhone through rehearsal and live show footage.
Strategy & Insight The goal was to bring Shot on iPhone onto the world's biggest stage with an intimate, exciting, and unprecedented look at the Super Bowl Halftime show.
We wanted to highlight iPhone 15 Pro's incredible camera capabilities to new audiences by showing up on the biggest night in culture.
We leveraged the power of Apple's full brand ecosystem for a 360 approach and tapped into our partnerships with Apple Music, the NFL and Usher to penetrate new audiences across social. Through capturing the emotion, scale and drama of the half-time show, we wanted to show Apple fans, football fans, and music fans alike what's possible with the phone in their pocket.
Creative Ideas R&B’s biggest star. Music’s biggest stage. iPhone’s biggest moment.
In this film, viewers get a front-row seat to Usher’s epic Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show performance. An intense 30-day journey, captured by over 40+ iPhones rigged in extraordinary ways, we watch as Usher and his dedicated team work day and night to craft the perfect performance—one that celebrates his 20 years of chart-topping hits.
From nailing the choreography to fine-tuning the tracklist to honoring eras and cultures, we get a never-before-seen look into the process behind a performance of a lifetime.
With the Super Bowl Halftime always captured from the same angles built for broadcast, this year, we dared to switch things up and bring an all-new perspective and viewing experience through the lens of iPhone 15 Pro. A camera designed to bring viewers closer to the moment than ever before.
Craft & Execution Filmed entirely using over 40 iPhones and spanning more than 1600 hours of footage, this project presented an unprecedented creative and production challenge.
The tight five-day editing timeline called for meticulous planning, with each day beginning with rigorous rehearsals for both performers and iPhone placement. From mounting phones onto backup dancers to integrating them into stage equipment, every detail was executed to maximize the little time we had.
The result? A compelling 10-minute documentary chronicling Usher’s journey to the Super Bowl Halftime Show, released online and on Apple Music. This journey was marked by pain, passion, and an unwavering commitment to delivering an unforgettable performance.
The documentary showcased entirely new angles not seen in the broadcast feed, providing viewers with a fresh perspective on the epic show.
Result An incredible direct response campaign was met with equally incredible results. We garnered over 23.5 million views across Apple and Usher channels. We also got the people talking and interacting with a grand total of 404k engagement—likes, comments, saves and shares.
The impact of the work was also impressive and we inspired action from our target audience. We saw a 57% year-over-year increase in conversation about Apple and reached followers outside of our existing community on Instagram (61%). Not to mention, we amassed over 674k hours of total watch time—28,083 days.
Our targeted social film was a response to the Super Bowl Halftime Show and impacted our brand perception by showing new audiences where iPhone can go when shooting films, differentiating it from other cameras on the market.