Apple’s cinematic stunt proves the iPhone 17 Pro can take a beating

Apple has unveiled a cinematic new spot to mark the launch of its iPhone 17 and 17 Pro series, showcasing the durability of its latest flagship device.

Titled "The ultimate pro", the one-minute film is set to Connie Francis’ Come rain or shine and opens with a pirate plummeting from a ship explosion. A woman on a harness films the action with an iPhone 17 Pro mounted on a tripod, as debris crashes around her and the phone, yet both remain unscathed.

The ad then moves through a series of high-intensity scenes: a journalist holding her ground in a raging storm while her crew scrambles for cover; filmmakers racing after horses down a muddy path as the device is splattered with dirt; and a driver speeding along a racetrack with the iPhone fixed to his dashboard, enduring clouds of dust and sand.

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In another sequence, a UFO slams into a dystopian set, sending debris flying into the crew as the iPhone continues recording. The spot closes with a helicopter roaring overhead as people duck for cover—while the orange iPhone 17 Pro stands steady, framed as unbreakable.

"This is iPhone 17 Pro. With a durable design and 48MP Pro Fusion camera system, it’s the ultimate Pro. It has a heat-forged aluminum unibody, and ceramic shield now protects the back, while on the front the new ceramic shield 2 has three times better scratch resistance. iPhone 17 Pro is loaded with the most cinematic camera we’ve ever made, featuring an eight-times optical-quality zoom to get even closer to the action," the caption read. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Apple for more information. 

The campaign lands just as Apple prepared for its iPhone 17 reveal, and rival Google was quick to seize the moment. The tech giant released a cheeky Instagram video featuring its Pixel phone alongside an iPhone in a field of chickens.

The skit opens with iPhone struggling to teach the birds to sing, a callback to an earlier Pixel video, before Pixel reveals the chickens were created using its Gemini AI tool. Pixel then shows off further AI-generated clips, from turtles running an investment bank to reptiles studying mathematics, prompting a comical “Oh no” from iPhone.

The Instagram caption read, “When iPhone's plans run afowl, Pixel promptly generates some helpful advice,” positioning the video as both a showcase of Gemini’s creative capabilities and a playful jab at its rival’s big launch.

Apple is also no stranger to cinematic storytelling. For Chinese New Year earlier this year, the brand released "I made a mixtape for you", a film entirely shot on the iPhone 16 Pro. Directed by The Greatest Showman’s Michael Gracey, the campaign was created with TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai and featured Oscar-winning cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, Hollywood choreographer Ashley Wallen, and Shanghai screenwriter Wu Jue Ren. The short film follows a young man named Wei as he embarks on a journey to find love, showcasing the advanced camera capabilities of the iPhone 16 Pro.

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