Apple’s new India ad checks the iPhone’s durability in a bumpy rickshaw ride

Apple India has unveiled a new ad film that highlights the durability of its new iPhones. The film is centred around Apple’s ‘aerospace-grade’ aluminium build.

In the ad film titled Wreckshaw, an iPhone user is seen riding a rickshaw, which is going at a fast speed with twists and turns on what appears to be a busy road. The protagonist, who is surfing content on her device, quickly loses control of her phone and drops it at the mercy of the ride.

The next sequence of scenes is just the iPhone crashing into the interiors of the rickshaw, unfazed and undamaged. The ad film has been created in collaboration with TBWAMedia Arts Lab, Singapore.

Interestingly, the protagonist is shown watching cricket on her iPhone 15. Given that the ad has been unveiled in the middle of the IPL season, the depiction hits home for millions of cricket fans who like to watch cricket when they commute but also run the risk of damaging their devices in the process. 

The ad film is the first locally made Apple ad in India under the Relax. It’s iPhone campaign and will be aired across TV and digital. 

Last year, the brand also saw some creative limelight owing to Vishal Bhardwaj's short film Fursat, featuring actor Ishan Khattar. The entire 30-minute film was shot on iPhone 14 Pro.

Recently, Apple has undertaken a robust strategy to broaden its footprint in India, spanning both manufacturing and sales endeavours. The American tech powerhouse inaugurated its first brick-and-mortar outlet in the nation in April 2023 in Mumbai, with the company's CEO Tim Cook paying a visit.

Moreover, it has come to light that approximately one in seven, equating to 14%, of Apple's iPhones are now purportedly manufactured in India, underscoring the company's concerted efforts to bolster its manufacturing capabilities within the country.

In 2023, Apple experienced remarkable success, culminating in the sale of 9 million units despite commanding the highest average selling price (ASP) of USD 940 in the Indian market. According to the International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, this achievement was primarily driven by robust sales of previous generation iPhone models and the company's strategic emphasis on local manufacturing initiatives. Notably, Apple's iPhone 13 and 14 secured positions among the Top 5 most shipped smartphone models globally for the year.

As per the IDC's February release, Apple claimed the sixth position on the list of top ten smartphone brands in India in 2023 with a market share of 6.4%.