https://youtu.be/yk6UVnMn9ts
The iPhone 15 has something very handy called precision finding, and this new advert from Apple highlights just how useful it can be when trying to find your brothers and sisters in a crowd of Mando Mercs.
Directed by Kim Gehrig and debuting in time for Star Wars Day, the clever spot follows a Mandalorian costumer (played by real-life fan Owen Jardiniano) as he journeys to meet up with friends at a local con. He starts off the day feeding his cat, Leia, and checking for the essentials (“Keys, phone, thermal detonator”), before heading out. He picks up a boba tea (naturally), grabs the bus, and uses his iPhone 15 to chat with and find his Mandalorian clan. Finally together, they share greetings and some in-sync head-bobs to Channel Tres’ “All My Friends,” with the lyric “5:02, past the curfew” changed to “5:01,” in a nod from the artist to the 501st Legion fan group. Jardiniano and pals then blast off…up the escalator. (The commercial is also filled with Easter eggs, from the sign at the bus stop — “The first transport is away!” — to the “New Hope” street sign, so keep your scanners peeled.)
Lucasfilm received over 300 submissions for the spot, with a total of 172 fans becoming involved with the production — the largest number ever for a project sanctioned by the company. For Jardiniano, it was an experience to remember.