This magical Apple ad doesn’t even show the product it’s selling

Kids these days are just spending all their time with their eyes on little glass screens in their hands, playing, texting, tapping, and learning nothing.

Or not:

The boy in the ad who appears to be hanging back, loner-style, not participating, not communicating, and not connecting … is actually creating a memory for the entire family.

As a whole, the commercial is not just for Apple TV, which enables him to share his creation on the big screen. And it’s not just a commercial for iPhone, which he uses to create the home movie. And it’s not just a commercial for iMovie, which is the now-free app Apple providers for people to be their own personal Spielbergs. It’s not even an ad for the entire Apple ecosystem of devices and software and networks that makes it all possible.

It’s actually an ad for the kind of experiences and capabilities that are possible with Apple’s products, the company is saying — in a sense the ultimate lifestyle ad for artistic creators. Who still love their families, of course.

Believe the message or not, buy it or not, it’s still pretty magical.