Korea is that rare market where Apple is considered the ‘challenger’ brand, with the competition spending nearly 6 times more in advertisements. Therefore, we needed something big to not only demonstrate the awesome capabilities of the iPhone camera system but to build brand affinity with our Korean customers.

In Korea a so-called ‘10 Million Movie’ is considered a bonafide blockbuster film, since this milestone means 1 out 5 Koreans watched the movie. And so far, less than 20 films hold that distinction. Our idea was to create our very own ‘10 Million Movie’ with the iPhone.

Apple’s ongoing ‘Shot on iPhone’ platform, where big name directors such as Michel Gondry, Damian Chazelle, etc. showcased the iPhone camera system’s amazing features and capabilities with a short film shot entirely on the device, was the perfect platform for our creative idea. Especially with the recent global popularity of Korean contents such as ‘Parasite’, ‘Squid Game’, etc. the time was ripe for a Korean version of the ‘Shot on iPhone’ film.

We worked with Park Chan-wook, an internationally renowned director of films such as ‘Oldboy' and ‘The Handmaiden.’ His trademark visual flair and off-the-wall storytelling was just what we needed to demonstrate the cinematic capabilities of the new iPhone camera system, but more importantly to create our very own ‘10 Million Movie.’

From February 18th to March 17th this year, ‘Life is But a Dream’ ran on broadcast TV, digital and social channels, video-on-demand, and Apple’s YouTube channel.

During its release month, the film accumulated over 10 million views across all major platforms in Korea and the US. It has received praises and glowing accolades from both fans and critics alike.