Apple’s new Mac Mini has the M6 and M5 Pro chips which, according to the company, give the computer greater speed, performance and versatility than previous versions. It is the most powerful to date and this has been reflected by the technology company in an advertisement in which the machine comes to life to demonstrate all its capabilities.
Apple has worked, as usual, with creative agency TBWAMedia Arts Lab on an energetic animated spot titled “The Mighty Mac mini,” which deploys various visual metaphors to illustrate the computer’s attributes. Thus, the device becomes the body of a bodybuilder showing his muscles or the engine of a racing car. It also houses a brain capable of developing several functions at the same time or is located at the center of a rocket that is launched into the stratosphere.
Each transformation reveals a different aspect of the M6’s capabilities, turning the small desktop computer into an extremely powerful device. All this to convey that, among other things, the Mac mini now multiplies the performance of artificial intelligence by four, doubles the speed of storage and graphics, and increases CPU power by 40%.
Along with the announcement, Apple has shared, through its Hello Apple account on Instagram, the making of the advertisement, which in the face of the growing trend of using artificial intelligence, has resorted to the artisanal technique of stop motion and plasticine as the main material. For its creation, the company has collaborated with the animation studio Stoopid Budd and the production company Blinkink.
In the video, Apple shows the initial sketches and storyboards that have helped conceptualize the different characters that the device becomes and the meticulous work of the animators to create each detail and how they have applied different techniques, materials and accessories to generate the movements and transitions. It is a strong commitment to human work, since no computer animation or artificial intelligence has been used.
Original Hello Apple post on Instagram.
The process has been developed over nine weeks, according to Fast Company. Each scene has required its own technique; For example, in the opening bodybuilder sequence, the musculature was created using 3D sculptures, which were printed and used as molds. Real clay was pressed into the molds to create the shapes seen in the ad, supported by small internal structures that helped maintain poses between frames. Additionally, arms and legs of different sizes were built to reflect how the device gains muscle mass.
The announcement puts different ideas on the table that help continue building Apple’s positioning. On the one hand, the different sequences convey the potential of the new product, while the aesthetics, with a certain childish tone, seek to evoke the affordability of cutting-edge technology.
In addition, the advertisement preserves the unmistakable personality that the brand has worked on for years in its advertising communication, which gives credibility and legitimacy to the claims. The commitment to generation helps the company turn a list of performance improvements into a simple, easy-to-understand promise.
The spot expands Apple’s track record in advertisements made from artisanal work processes, a territory that allows the technology company to reinforce brand messages such as the value of human talent or creativity, especially after the controversy generated two years ago by the “Crush” ad to promote its iPad.
Since then, Apple has made animation and stop motion a key piece of its advertising. “Fuzzy Feelings”, its advertisement for Christmas 2023, is an example of this, and among other things, it won a Golden Lion at Cannes Lions in the Film category or the Emmy Award for Best Advertisement. On the other hand, “A Critter Carol” was the Christmas ad for 2025, and starred hand-crafted puppets manipulated by teams of puppeteers, on a physically constructed stage and filmed entirely with an iPhone 17 Pro.
