Apple's 'Underdogs' are back in an endearing new ad

Like the endearing cast of a popular sitcom, Apple's 'Underdogs' cast is back for what is season 2, or the second ad in this now much-loved series on what working is like at the tech giant.

To give a bit of context, the first ad stood out from the usual Apple ads that banked on themes such as creativity, superlative, design, excellence and awe.

What we saw, instead, was a team of four rag-tag, clunky, and horribly ordinary Apple employees under a deadline – meet Viveene with her cold expressions, and sell her the round pizza box.

This was in April 2019 and the ad won hearts because it stood out. It showed normal/regular folks (termed 'Underdogs') working at Apple, against the perceived creative geniuses strutting around designing new iDevices in their sleep.

A year later, the 'Underdogs' are still at Apple, working from home and enduring all the obstacles just like ordinary folks. But, turns out their designs for the round pizza box (now called Pandora's box) is alive and kicking and still hasn’t been submitted.

Vivienne, still cold, now tells them they need to submit the project design in a week’s time, and yes, this time, "... it needs to be recyclable."

What follows is a racket of the 'Underdogs' trying to get the designs ready while working from home, with a budget slashed to half. There's a bunch of kids, several Apple devices, virtual brainstorming sessions, guided meditations, wearing a mask while exercising outside, inappropriate attire during video calls, and lots and lots of anxiety – the 'Underdogs' if you may.

The ad, endearing and relatable, makes one thing clear, everyone is a bit on the same boat while working from home, but yes, sometimes, Apple makes it a bit more cooler.

Mark Molloy has directed both the 'Underdogs' ads.