If you were to hand me an iPad, the things I’d use it for would likely be pretty mundane. Apple wants to prove, however, that the iPad plays a significant role in a number of cool/important jobs and situations.
The company’s new commercial debuted this weekend during the NFL playoffs and includes a speech from the classic film Dead Poets Society. The ad shows the iPad being used by deep-sea divers, a Bollywood director, Mount Everest climbers, pro hockey coaches, etc…
Below is the speech, as read by Robin Williams, along with the commercial:
We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering — these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love — these are what we stay alive for.
To quote from Whitman,
“O me, O life of the questions of these recurring.
Of the endless trains of the faithless. Of cities filled with the foolish. What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer: that you are here. That life exists and identity. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”“That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”
What will your verse be?
What’s cool about the ad is that it’s also accompanied by a new page on Apple’s site that goes into more depth on the specific stories. Currently it only tells the story of how marine biologist Dr. Michael Berumen uses the iPad to help him conduct his work, but the site says that “coming soon” will be a more in-depth description of how mountaineers Emily Harrington and Adrian Ballinger use the iPad when they climb.
Expect to see Apple build on this ad campaign soon.
