Apple Music Wins the Super Bowl
There are two types of people who can’t wait to watch the 2023 Super Bowl: football fans and Rihanna fans. I identify with the latter. The influence of her anthems date back to my adolescence, making a live performance on a Super Bowl stage nothing short of iconic.
In tandem with the advertising industry’s most anticipated season, Apple Music debuted its latest spot, titled Run This Town, a nod to Rihanna’s 2009 trio with Jay-Z and Kanye West.
No matter how many times I watch it, this puts me in my feels every time. The scenery offers a rich, captivating color story that makes this spot a cinematic snack for the eye, and I love the ode to Rihanna’s Barbadian roots. Beyond that, the story at the heart of this ad is so simple, I can visualize what the first pass at a storyboard might have looked like. It’s uncomplicated, even arguably elementary in a way, but nonetheless impactful. The finished product is amplified by creative elements, such as the laughter and chatter of school children, and the threading of lyrics from the song to guide the flow of the story while tugging at your heart strings.
As the spot rounds the :30 mark, we see its star slide on her shades and strut with a power and confidence that embodies the definition of striking. With every step, the sway of her shoulders makes a statement all its own—and her right arm, perched on her hip, seals her fate as she moves down the roadway like a runway. She captivates bystanders while captivating all of us watching through the screens of our mobile phones.
The closing scene captures a heartfelt moment of the girls flying a kite in the cemetery. It invites us to relish in that feeling of nostalgia, and reminds us of the infinite potential that comes naturally to us when we’re young—the default to dream beyond our comfort zone. The spot concludes with three goosebump-eliciting one-liners, written from Rihanna’s point of view, that make this story mimic that of a modern love story. It encapsulates the profound journey from humble roots to a stage with over 100 million spectators, proving that dreams do, in fact, come true. It leaves you rooting for Rihanna, and wanting to hit the replay button.
This caliber of emotion feeds me creatively because regardless of what triggers our feelings, the feelings themselves are universal, and they have the power to unite the most unlikely of us. If watching the Super Bowl means sitting through a slew of ads, let’s make more of them feel like this.