Apple's HomeView Ad Is Chaotic for Everyone Except Parents

Apple's ad introducing its new HomeView smart display is a bit unusual. The fast-paced, unruly spot shows a five-person family rushing through their morning routine, with screams and disorder, misplaced keys and discarded eggshells. Apple's usual tone is clean, simple and orderly, but this ad is chaos. It does, however, have a sweet spot for parents, especially those who […]

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This chaos is surprisingly real for Apple advertising.

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There's nothing like a family get-together in the morning. Image: Apple

Apple's ad for the new HomeView smart display is a bit unusual. The film is fast and furious, depicting a family of five as they rush through their morning routine. There is screaming and clutter, misplaced keys and discarded eggshells. The typical Apple vibe is clean, simple, organized. This ad is chaos.

But this is where parents—especially those with teenage children—feel seen.

I'll admit it also stressed me out the first time I watched it. Mornings when I get my five-year-old out the door are a special kind of chaos, and it usually culminates in us playing whatever promo game gets him to put on his shoes. But not strictly this one, which includes dad making French toast, mom losing and finding her keys in her pocket, a proxy battle over the thermostat, a teenage son helping himself to whipped cream from a can, and an unexpected video call. There's also a mini-drama about a girl going to school with a boyfriend no one knows about, which ends with everyone huddled around HomeView watching a security camera feed of two of them walking off the porch. That's a lot for just over three minutes of screen time.

If I know anything, I know that I have to trust my colleague, senior referee and parent of my two teenagers, Jen Toohey, with things around the house. His take? The most unrealistic part of the video is that no one is holding an iPhone.

Other parents of teens shared similar reactions on Threads. When tech analyst Benedict Evans posted about the ad feeling stressed and confusing, CNET editor-at-large Bridget Carey defended it, saying, "It was exactly what my morning is, and it was the most genuine Apple ad I've ever seen." Others agreed, calling it "precisely recorded" and "hit home," at least I think no pun intended.

Even if Apple doesn't need to do much to raise the stakes of a family out and about, it's being careful about making HomeView seem essential. The family apparently drilled a hole right in the middle of their kitchen island to accommodate the charging cable. And what sibling wants to check a secret boyfriend's text message on a communal kitchen screen with their brother sitting next to them? I don't think any teenager trusts Apple's privacy features that much.

You gotta love that plate on the speaker to poke holes in your beautiful kitchen furniture. Image: Apple

Confusion about the commercial is understandable. It's a far cry from the luxurious, relaxed lifestyle everyone seems to enjoy at Apple's Vision Pro ads. As for the spontaneous FaceTime call from the grandparents, the screen in the middle of the kitchen seems to make things worse.

But maybe morning chaos isn't a problem that's being solved. If the alternative is five people all interacting with their phones, HomeView presents a different picture where everyone gets the essential information they need from a common screen and is more present.

A screen that makes you more present is a good idea, but the real test will come when it's in real homes. Is HomeView enough to convince families to ditch their personal devices? Does everyone just ignore it and keep scrolling on their iPhone? These are questions worth answering before you start drilling holes in your kitchen island! Either way, an unruly morning routine is probably a feature of a busy home, not a bug. Just ask a parent

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