Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPad by looking back at all the best iPad ads!

iPad Air 2
iPad Air 2 (Image credit: iMore)

Over the past ten years, the iPad has had many iterations. From the very first iPad, which launched on April 3, 2010, to the newest iPad Pro, every iPad has had something in common — they've all had commercials.

While ads are often seen as the stupid things you skip after five seconds on YouTube, ads are an important part of a product's life cycle. Apple has made some iconic ads for its iPads over the years, so sit back and take a rocket ship ride over the past decade to check out some of the most significant iPad ads to grace our screens over the years.

iPad (1st generation)

The very first iPad ad had a really simple formula that we had seen Apple use many times before. It aired in the middle of the 82nd Academy Awards, proving that Apple wanted lots of eyes on its latest product.

In the coming months, they came out with a few different spots for the iPad that had the iconic "What is iPad" voiceover. Here's one of my personal favorites:

iPad 2

The second version of the iPad broke out on to TV with an ad that played to a more sentimental slant. The "This is what we believe" iPad 2 ad has a great message that still rings true to this day.

iPad (3rd generation)

The third-generation iPad was marketed as "The new iPad." The brand-new Retina display was a first in the iPad line and the commercials often focused on the display as its main selling point.

iPad (4th generation)

The fourth-generation iPad came out the same year the previous iPad did and launched alongside the very first iPad Mini. The commercial you may remember was known as the "Alive" commercial. Very simple, very short, and very Apple.

iPad mini (1st generation)

This is still one of my favorite Apple ads of all time, the first iPad Mini burst onto the seen in a simple spot that saw an iPad Mini next to a larger iPad playing Heart and Soul on the piano in Garage Band.

iPad Air (1st Generation)

The iPad Air came into the iPad lineup in 2013 and it was notably thinner and lighter than the previous iPad versions. The iconic TV spot for the iPad Air was narrated by Bryan Cranston and is still considered one of the most memorable iPad commercials.

iPad Air 2

The iPad Air 2 Change is in the Air TV spot showed off a lot of neat uses for the iPad Air 2, everything from creating stop-motion videos to drafting work and to taking notes at a meeting.

iPad Pro (1st generation)

The very first iPad Pro was the largest screen ever on an iPad to date and Apple thought it would be a great detail to feature in this very cool ad about the amazing visuals found in space.

iPad Pro (2nd generation)

The "What's a Computer" iPad Pro ad is probably one of the more "controversial" — for lack of a better term — Apple ads in recent memory. Some people thought the main question "What's a computer" was pretty silly, but others thought it got across Apple's message perfectly. The iPad Pro is all the computer a lot of us need.

iPad (6th generation)

The sixth-generation iPad was the first non-Pro iPad Apple put out that feature Apple Pencil support. The ad, which is just as much of an ad for the Apple Pencil as the iPad itself, simply marketed the sixth-generation "the new iPad".

iPad Pro (3rd generation)

In 2018, Apple blew up the iPad Pro line and changed the form factor for the iPad drastically for the first time. Naturally, the ad for the 3rd-generation iPad Pro prominently highlighted the new design.

iPad (7th generation) / Holiday Ad

While the 2019 holiday ad from Apple wasn't specifically advertising the seventh-generation iPad, it was the iPad featured prominently in the ad. If you tear up while watching this ad, I won't judge you, it made my eyes misty as well.

Which ads are your favorites?

While this isn't every iPad ad to ever come out in the past 10 years, they are a collection of some of the most memorable and unique ones that I found.

Which iPad ads stuck out to you? Let us know in the comments down below.

Luke Filipowicz
Staff Writer

Luke Filipowicz has been a writer at iMore, covering Apple for nearly a decade now. He writes a lot about Apple Watch and iPad but covers the iPhone and Mac as well. He often describes himself as an "Apple user on a budget" and firmly believes that great technology can be affordable if you know where to look. Luke also heads up the iMore Show — a weekly podcast focusing on Apple news, rumors, and products but likes to have some fun along the way. 


Luke knows he spends more time on Twitter than he probably should, so feel free to follow him or give him a shout on social media @LukeFilipowicz.