But... Why Pedro?
Did Apple just ask Siri who the most likeable celebrity is at the moment? Or is there deeper thought behind Pascals feature in their new Spike Jonze film?
G’day and good afternoon everyone!
I’m sure by now you would have seen Apple’s new spot from last week: Someday.
We expect nothing less than incredible from Spike Jonze these days.
Right from the get go you can tell this film is very well crafted.
Even before any music or any product is shown, in classic Apple fashion, it exudes polish. There’s lots that’s incredible about this film.
The cinematography.
The choreography.
The costume and set design.
But… Why Pedro?
Let’s take a step back though and have a quick look at Apple’s strategy here.
I’m old enough to remember Apple’s infamous silhouette iPod ads, are you?
Super bright colours, bold silhouettes and one glaring white iPod.
For years Apple’s advertising work was quite product focused.
By this I mean that the hero of the work was always the product.
I guess you could say a lot of their through the line retail work still is.
But their bigger, brandy-er pieces of work over the years have taken a different approach. A more human, people-focussed approach.
I think back to The Underdogs.
These films take the spotlight off the product itself and turn it on the people using them. Which is clever because it’s so easy to see yourself in the ads and relate.
It also creates a much stronger emotional connection to the brand or product, which is really important for Apple.
They don’t want customers, they want disciples.
This isn’t to say that Apple is ignoring a product benefit or demo opportunity.
In fact, what they’ve done is re-framed the product benefit in a way that drives emotion levels higher.
When you hear “Noise Cancelling” you probably think the benefit is that it blocks everything out, when the real benefit is simply being in control of what you let in.
Music is such a powerful thing, and I love how they’ve depicted how much music colours your world and the way you interact with your world.
I’ve definitely been in Pedro’s shoes at the start of the film, feeling super low and using music to just sink lower and lower. It’s cathartic. He’s actively chasing to let the sadness in.
Then we have this wonderful moment where he sees himself in a more hopeful and joyous time.
Music is ever-present in this scenario too, elevating the sense of happiness he’s feeling. Again, this is beautifully depicted through colour and dance (an insane effort from the art department here).
And we have wholesome cheerful Pedro, admittedly not the best dancer, but dancing nonetheless to the music, and happiness he’s chosen to let in.
Because the real power of AirPods is not what they keep out, but what they can let in.
So… Why Pedro?
Apple doesn’t always cast big name celebs.
You’d assume that with a director like Spike Jonze on board that there’d be no budget left for casting a popular movie star, but… Apple, right?
They could have cast anyone. A musician. A young, trendy influencer. Or saved a chunk of money and gone with a complete rando.
Instead, they went with Pedro Pascal.
Maybe Hollywood’s most wholesome everyman at the moment?
He’s also an actor that’s best known for reacting to the world around him rather than controlling it.
But wait, that seems backwards to the point I was making before?
Let’s think about Pedro’s biggest roles:
The Mandalorian – A silent, stoic, lone wolf masked protector who barely speaks, yet conveys everything through body language.
The Last of Us – A reluctant survivor, constantly navigating a world wildly beyond his control.
Narcos – A detective frustratingly always one step behind forces bigger than him.
In these roles, Pedro isn’t the guy who changes the world—he’s the guy who moves through it, taking punches and absorbing everything along the way.
Reacting, not controlling.
And that’s exactly what makes him perfect for this ad.
The transformation moment.
In the opening scene of the ad, he’s reacting—overwhelmed by the sadness of a breakup, the chill in the air and the noise of New York City.
But the moment he puts in the AirPods, everything shifts.
He’s no longer at the mercy of the world’s chaos or his heavy emotions; he’s actively choosing what to hear, what to feel, and how to experience his surroundings.
This shift in power mirrors the transformation we see in his characters:
Joel (The Last of Us) goes from a closed-off, hardened survivor to someone who lets Ellie in, becoming somewhat of a father figure and protector.
Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) starts as a lone wolf and gradually chooses connection to Grogu and the wider Mandalorian community.
In the ad, Pedro moves from melancholy and blue to joyful, engaged, and in control—not by escaping, but by selectively tuning in.
Apple’s message here isn’t about blocking the world out—it’s about deciding what you let in. Pedro Pascal sells that effortlessly because he’s built a career on playing characters who don’t control the world around them… until they do.
That’s why Pedro.
It’s masterful storytelling.
It’s emotive.
It’s human.
It’s stunning.
People will say “Oh, they just got Pedro cos he’s popular right now”.
But I think there was more thought behind it than that.
An inspired casting choice in my books.
I mean… Why not Pedro?