Since its inception, the ‘Shot on the iPhone’ campaign – which features photos snapped by device owners – has sought to express how the pairing of a normal phone and an average person could produce something extraordinary. In the 2019 version of the campaign, Apple puts the iPhone into the hands of celebrities rather than average users, with photos of NHL players’ candid moments featured on billboards. Working with eight teams, images of players’ time on and off the ice are displayed near each team's arena.

Apple ad unites celebs and the everyman using iphones

Only 40% of Americans say exclusivity is an important factor when making luxury purchases. Through the candid player snapshots taken on iPhones, Apple is gesturing to a larger societal shift – one in which high-end consumer goods are more widely available across socioeconomic strata. In the past, luxury items were reserved for the wealthiest in society, making them effective markers of elitism. But marketing and manufacturing shifts have made it so that it’s not unusual for the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, an NHL MVP, and the average Joe to have the same phone. Apple’s intimate, candid shots do more than let people peer into the inner sanctum of their idols – they present the iPhone as something that links everyone together. Fashion brands have also sought to make luxury more inclusive, with Tommy Hilfiger, for instance, launching its Adaptive Collection to prove that fashion is for everyone.

Aaron Hanaphy is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8, which specializes in behavioral insights and consumer research. As a synth-loving semiotician you’ll either find him fiddling with filters or diving deep into the cultural nuances of anything from bad TV to brand language.