Apple has, for many years, produced some of the funniest and most creative ads the tech industry has even seen. There was the famous 1984 ad, produced by Ridley Scott, the iconic imagery used to promote the iPod and the funny ‘I’m a Mac, I’m a PC’ series starring Justin Long and John Hodgman. But I think this latest ad, discussing Apple Health and privacy is worth of standing in that pantheon.
As well as being humourous, it reminds us that health data is incredibly personal and private – something the 10 million Australians whose data was compromised in the recent cyberattack on Medibank know only too well.
The timing of the ad is no coincidence either. With WWDC 2023 just around the corner, there’s a strong rumour that Apple will be extending Apple Health from the iPhone to the iPad, and possibly the Mac as well. This is important as it suggests the ability to conduct better analytics using the data.
I’ve long wanted Apple to help me answer questions about how my nutrition, sleep, activity, mood and other factors influence my overall health and well-being. Perhaps we will see the next stage in the evolution of Apple Health.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.