Flock

Background: Privacy is a critical brand value for Apple, built into the iPhone's design from day one. Over the years, Apple has become a leading industry voice in this space, raising awareness while also delivering groundbreaking protection against the hidden yet pervasive data economy. While these efforts have helped strengthen awareness of the privacy issue, the data economy is doubling down on its efforts to find new and sophisticated ways of collecting people’s data online. Meanwhile, tech companies have felt pressure to showcase their own privacy commitments, often taking advantage of the complex topic with vague promises but limited actual protection. Creative Idea: Flock is a fantastical, dystopian depiction of the extensive online surveillance economy and the iPhone’s ability to help protect against it. It depicts bird-like surveillance cameras targeting people’s browsing data before Safari’s privacy protection comes to the rescue. Insights & Strategy: Online tracking continues to become more pervasive and sophisticated. Between the prevalence of cookies and the rise of an even more subversive practice known as ‘fingerprinting,’ people’s online activities are being constantly tracked with precision by companies. Our strategy was to show how, in this world of constant online surveillance, Safari on iPhone provides superior privacy protection. Execution: The production turned creatives into ornithologists, mechanical engineers, and even scrap-metal musicians. After meticulously studying bird behavior and movements, surveillance birds were brought to life. Each bird was custom-designed for its environment—seagull-like cameras near the ocean and bat-like trackers haunting dim parking garages. 3D-printed models on set added tangible realism, capturing light, texture, and reactions from the cast. Set against the striking architecture of Santiago, the film’s eerie atmosphere is amplified by the mechanical, sentient sounds of the camera birds. To enhance the surreal yet immersive look, digital footage was printed onto film stock, seamlessly blending CGI into the real world. Results: The campaign cemented Apple as a champion of online privacy while igniting an industry-wide shift toward better privacy protections. The film was strategically positioned among a series of provocative brand actions. OOH set out our stance loud and clear: “Safari. A browser that’s actually private,” paving the way for the film to pick up and evolve the narrative. Meanwhile, a series of bespoke digital assets delivered the warning directly to the people while they were browsing. Over the course of two months, our actions stirred a stream of news headlines and social media comments. 33% of our campaign coverage went straight to the culprit, calling out Chrome from the headline down, while search interest for Safari nearly doubled, with a 45% lift during the campaign flight. Against the groundswell of interest and conversation, Google Chrome finally came to the table, announcing changes to their privacy policies. This was followed by similar announcements from Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge—ultimately improving digital privacy for billions of users worldwide. The campaign drove 49 million people to apple.com to learn about Safari’s privacy protections, where Android users spent a staggering 1 minute and 35 seconds. Meanwhile, Apple’s leadership in digital privacy increased by 61 percentage points over its biggest competitor. The campaign drove 49 million people to apple.com to learn about Safari’s privacy protections, where Android users spent a staggering 1 minute and 35 seconds. Meanwhile Apple’s leadership within digital privacy increased with 61 percentage points over its biggest competitor.