The Television Academy this weekend announced the winners for the 2014 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, recognizing the technical side of television in honoring the outstanding "behind-the-scenes crafts essential to television production." Apple was among the winners announced during a ceremony held Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Apple, along with Park Pictures production company and TBWA\Media Arts Lab ad agency, was awarded an Outstanding Commercial Emmy for its holiday "Misunderstood" advertisement. In the commercial, a family participates in a traditional Christmas celebration while a younger member records all of the activities on his iPhone. Chided for being on the sidelines, the misunderstood teen delights his family at the end of the commercial with a heart-warming montage of the holiday celebration streamed via AirPlay to the living room television.


The award was shared with Apple's longtime ad agency, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, which allegedly now has a rocky relationship with the Cupertino company. Emails from Apple's head of marketing Phil Schiller hint at discord between the ad agency and Apple's executives following a scathing criticism from The Wall Street Journal. A more recent rumor suggests Apple is ready to sever its ties to TBWA/Media Arts Lab, with Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine stepping in to help spearhead the company's future marketing campaigns.

Top Rated Comments

Meandmunch Avatar
134 months ago
It's a rock solid ad because it both connects emotional with the audience and subtle demonstrates an array of iPhone capabilities.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Milese3 Avatar
134 months ago
Wow, I sort of overlooked that advert before. But now I look at it, it's very touching. Congratulations, Apple.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GoCubsGo Avatar
134 months ago
Having Beats incharge of anything seems like a massive mistake to me. I guess so long as Beats has nothing to do with Apple's computers or iOS devices, or any softwares besides the music related ones, I'm okay, though. Apple doesn't really need me to like their ads, since I'll buy their products anyways (so long as they remain the best).

Well, I guess if you're going to miss the point of the article then this is the best way to do it. This ad came before the Beats deal; it is unclear if you knew that.

As for the ad, it is probably the first Apple ad in a long time that I actually cared to pay attention to. It was "hallmarky" as someone mentioned, but it was done well...even better than when it was done on Community. ;)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
psac Avatar
134 months ago
It's a rock solid ad because it both connects emotional with the audience and subtle demonstrates an array of iPhone capabilities.

Spot on. The best ads make a connection AND highlight the product. This does both in an amazing way. Loved it when it was on air.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
134 months ago
Wow, never saw that before, just watched it and got tears in my eyes. Love family moments like these. Life is very precious!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citi Avatar
134 months ago
New Apple with Beats will need new ad agency.
Less class, more 'hood and affluent gangsta raw, like Mr Drek. :apple:

ugh. So tired of this...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...