“Quiet The Noise” is the ultimate metaphor for listening to music with the all-new AirPods Pro. It opens with a chunk of earth floating in the sky as a construction worker drills with a jackhammer. Surprisingly, you can’t hear a thing, because the city’s noise is drowned out by the ethereal sound of Tkay Maidza’s Pixies cover of “Where is my Mind”—the film’s soundtrack.

Continuing in the sky, a wave of recognizably noisy objects, from a traffic jam to an entire parade, float silently in the clouds. On the ground, the camera finds our young heroine is wearing AirPods and listening to the track in peace as the world hovers above. Pinching the AirPods’ stem to toggle into Adaptive Transparency mode, the bustle of the city comes crashing back down until she pinches to reactivate Active Noise Cancellation, once again sending the noise back into the sky.

The all-new AirPods Pros have some of the best Active Noise Cancellation technology of any headphone on the market. First, however, consumers needed to be aware of how powerful the technology was compared to the previous generation.

The brief we set ourselves was simple: Create an awe-inducing, vibrant visual that brings the AirPods listening experience to life. A blend of sci-fi and surrealism, similar to a Douglas Adam’s story, viewers watch as the everyday noise drifts away into the void. Each floating element becomes its own tiny planet, hovering above our heroine, who is in a peaceful noise canceling bubble. The core is to take a simple concept - navigating a busy city street which is suddenly transformed into a peaceful walk through the silencing powers of AirPods Pro - and explore it in a variety of wildly imaginative ways.

The goal of “Quiet the Noise” was to visualise what noise cancellation really feels like with humour and poetry.

To deliver the concept, the production design and art direction set out to create a surreal dynamism between two worlds - one with noise cancellation and one without.

Vibrant visuals capture the sonic offenders floating against a blue sky above the city streets: disgruntled drivers, barking dogs, construction jackhammering, a colourful parade replete with costumed characters, a marching band, and even a giant chunk of earth.

On the ground, we created an energetic city with storefronts, graffitied walls, and signage.

The intention is that everything should feel like an average day, the visuals emphasizing the feeling of being in a bubble of calmness. The production design and art direction team worked closely with the VFX team to ensure a naturalistic texture throughout, ensuring everything felt real.

Across the world, people are back to commuting, traveling, and working in offices after the Pandemic. Unfortunately, this means they are once again surrounded by noise that may interfere with their listening experience daily. We wanted to create a film that is globally relevant while telling a one-of-a-kind product story.

We also prioritized casting performers who represent the type of people seen walking around a metropolitan city. They showcase the natural diversity of the urban setting, so the cast of “Quiet the Noise” represents a spectrum of ages, ethnicities, body types, and genders. These include performers in the background, featured extras with their spotlight moments floating in the air, and of course, the film’s heroine.