Every year in the second week of September, Apple holds its annual fall keynote event, unveiling new hardware alongside the latest operating system updates. This event has become a key trend indicator closely watched by the global tech and design industries. In the months leading up to the official launch, Apple builds anticipation through the WWDC developer conference, beta releases, and strategic media engagement—creating a rhythm of controlled information flow that drives sustained market attention and conversation.
Why We Selected This Case
A review of key highlights from Apple iOS 26 reveals a broader industry trend: as competition in the smartphone market intensifies, the focus has shifted from hardware specs—such as memory, camera quality, and device weight—toward AI integration, user experience design, and service refinement. Research shows that over 70% of users take up to six months to fully understand their device’s features, with only around 30% effectively leveraging advanced functions. This indicates a significant “cognitive gap” even among frequent users. Using iOS 26 as a case study, we aim to explore how brands can go beyond technical simplification to leverage strategic marketing approaches that help bridge this gap—enabling users to better appreciate and adopt the practical value of new features.
Market and Strategic Insights
01 Market Intelligence Sweep
In June 2025, Apple officially launched iOS 26 along with its new core design language, “Liquid Glass”—marking the most significant visual overhaul since iOS 7. Centered on fluid glass aesthetics, dynamic transparency, and ambient light responsiveness, Liquid Glass emphasizes immersive sensory experiences and cross-platform visual consistency. It is widely seen as a foundational step toward the future interface of Apple’s AR glasses. In contrast to Google’s Material You, which focuses on personalized dynamic color schemes, and Microsoft’s Fluent Design, which emphasizes productivity-centric integration, the three represent distinct design philosophies: aesthetic immersion, algorithmic personalization, and efficiency-driven utility.
While Liquid Glass has received strong attention for its visual novelty and strategic alignment, it faces challenges in areas such as content legibility, system performance, and developer adaptation costs. Its success over the coming years will depend on Apple’s ability to address user pain points and further integrate AI and multi-device design systems—ultimately aiming to establish a new standard in interface design for the premium user segment.
Creative Outcomes
06 Extreme Creative Brainstorm
Based on findings from 01 Market Intelligence Sweep, concerns have emerged around the legibility of the new Liquid Glass interface. Rather than avoiding this challenge, the team leveraged it as a strategic opportunity—transforming the controversy into a positive narrative through 06 Extreme Creative Brainstorm. The core concept: “Helping users focus on what truly matters.” By reframing the criticism into the message, “I can’t see it, so I stay focused,” the campaign positions Liquid Glass not as a flaw, but as a deliberate design choice to reduce distractions and reclaim attention.
Through a tone of self-aware humor and a range of relatable user perspectives, the message emphasizes that Liquid Glass is not about limiting functionality, but about enabling digital mindfulness—aligning with growing consumer desires for tech-enabled clarity and balance. This approach grounds the strategy in real user pain points while elevating Apple’s identity as a designer of purposeful digital lifestyles.
Key campaign components include:
- Community challenge activations – Interactive social initiatives such as “Vote for the least readable UI,” “Transparent life hacks” submission, and the “Check-your-phone-only-three-times-a-day” challenge aim to drive user engagement and conversation.
- Animated short film – Opening with dark humor, the film follows a diverse cast (young adult, office worker, designer, and grandmother) each navigating the blurred interface in their own way, leading to a comic-style appearance by Apple engineers who reveal the design philosophy. The story culminates in the brand message: “Let the blur become a new beginning for focus.”
ADGo Execution Process
Workflow : 01 Market Intelligence Sweep → 06 Extreme Creative Brainstorm
In this campaign, we leveraged ADGo’s creative support to evolve the original “invisible” concept into a more versatile strategic narrative—“Helping users focus on what truly matters.” This refined messaging not only aligns seamlessly with the core attributes of Liquid Glass, but also offers strong extensibility across other new features and user scenarios. It enables a cohesive and layered brand story that can be integrated throughout the broader communication framework, reinforcing Apple’s role as a curator of intentional digital experiences.