Welcome to Apple’s
The Mood Room.
A mock experiential brand campaign using immersive technology.
My Role In This Project - Creative Strategist
As the Creative Strategist, I conducted audience research and analyzed Apple Health data to develop a campaign strategy rooted in cultural relevance and consumer insights. I translated this research into a cohesive experiential framework, shaping the interactive touchpoints, engagement strategy, and brand storytelling. Additionally, I collaborated on video editing and real-time content capture, ensuring the seamless integration of strategy and execution. By incorporating projection mapping and interactive technology, I helped bring the campaign vision to life, creating a multisensory experience that pushed the boundaries of traditional advertising.
Motivation
Our primary motivation for this final project was to create a mock experiential campaign that involved immersive technology. As advertising majors, we focused on creating a brand-centered concept that reflected our interests.
Brand Campaign
Apple recently released a new lineup of audio products requiring promotion. Additionally, Apple’s Health Mindfulness Questionnaire allows insight on how users are feeling. Our team saw an opportunity to integrate a passion for music with an immersive experience.
Research
Based on a 2024 Apple consumer insight report by Statista, I found that Apple headphones are most popular among Generation Z in the U.S., and Apple users recall seeing ads on video streaming services more frequently than the average consumer.
Additional research from GWI highlights that Gen Z and Millennials are driving nostalgia in media, with 50% of Gen Z and 47% of Millennials expressing strong nostalgic connections. While all generations experience nostalgia, Gen Z leads this trend, making it a powerful tool for engagement.
A Purity study further reveals that Gen Z trusts brands that feel authentic and values connectivity, making digital integrations like apps and landing pages essential in supporting experiential activations.
Moreover, Mintel’s Marketing to Gen Z report states that 37% of Gen Z adults prioritize improving their mental health over the next five years, emphasizing the importance of well-being-focused brand messaging.
Finally, a Forbes report shows that 94% of Gen Z say music is "important" or "very important" to their lives, and 92% say the music they listen to directly affects their mood—proving that music is not just entertainment but an emotional driver for this generation.
Insights
My research revealed that Generation Z, the primary buyer of Apple headphones, values nostalgia, mental health, immersive experiences, and music. With Gen Z’s strong affinity for early 2000s trends, we saw an opportunity to revive the iconic iPod ad in a way that felt fresh and culturally relevant. By making it interactive through an experiential activation that incorporates mental health awareness and personalized music, we could create a campaign that not only resonates with Gen Z but also sparks nostalgia for older generations who experienced the original ad firsthand.
Since Apple users are highly engaged with digital ads, we designed the activation to capture participants in real-time as they recreated the iconic iPod ad—producing a commercial they could take home and share.
Inspiration
Apple’s early 2000s iPod and iTunes silhouette dancing commercials.
We took inspiration from the iconic early 2000s Apple iPod and iTunes campaign. However, we aimed to take it one step further by creating silhouettes that adapt to a users’ mood using the mindfulness questionnaire in the Apple Health app, offering a more immersive experience. This experience would also include Apple AirPods Max.
Our Version
AirPod Max Edition
Technology
For this project we used…
TouchDesigner: the software utilized to bring our demo to life; connects all technology and used to create mood visuals.
Kinect 360: acts as a camera and captures motion.
Projector: displays the interactive visuals.
Snapshot of our work in TouchDesigner
Live footage of users experiencing the activation.
Mock activation was performed in the Texas Immersive projection lab.
The Mood Room’s AirPods Max Take-Away Ad
The activation captured participants in real-time as they recreated the iconic early 2000s iPod ad, producing a commercial they could take home and share, generating earned media. With the user’s permission, Apple can take this footage for a real commercial showcasing the activation for the release of the new AirPods Max and brining awareness to the mindfulness questionnaire in the Apple Health app.
My team and I are actively improving this campaign by finding technology that tracks the AirPros Max while live recording it to make it look as close as possible to the original iPod ads. We are also finding ways to better sync the Apple mindfulness questionnaire to music for this activation.