Create a launch film for the HomePod that showcases both its big sound and smart home capabilities. The objective was to introduce the brand new HomePod and its features. Including 360-degree Spatial audio, beam forming tweeters, and a brand new chipset.

Apple uses sound particles to describe how its audio products work. Historically this has been done with CGI but, because this was a product that lives in the home, our Director found a practical in-camera solution. Ping ping balls. Lots of ping pong balls.

Every single particle was actually a ping pong ball. Each ball was jiggled, moved, swung, exploded out of an air cannon, and then meticulously composited together, to describe the various features of the HomePod speaker. Which gave it charm and imperfection that would have been impossible with CGI.

Hundreds of tests were carried out to find the right ‘ping pong ball’ language with which to describe each of the HomePod features. There were skipping ropes with strings of ping pong balls, hanging mobiles, computer-controlled air streams, air cannons, puppetry and more. And two chaps bouncing balls up and down on a wobbly bit of cardboard.