This might actually be the greatest marketing campaign of all time. This movie by Apple completely transformed their position in India. It went on to generate more than 150 million views across platforms and made Apple a dominant smartphone brand in the country. But these numbers are only possible because Apple knows something that very few brands do about connecting with local markets.
The more we looked into this campaign, the more we realized that this was not just another crazy high budget idea. This was a masterclass in how to save a failing market position. This campaign helped Apple go from less than 1% market share in India versus Android to making India the fastest growing market for Apple in the world.
In this blog post, we’re going to break down the five-element storytelling framework that Apple used to make this movie and disrupt India’s smartphone market. And this is not just a random framework. What makes this video special is that we have exclusive access to the actual five-step framework used by Apur Sharma, who was part of the marketing leadership at Apple that built this campaign.
Step 1: Setting Clear Goals
See, when Apple called their India marketing leadership into the office, they were facing a crisis. They had less than 1% market share in India and they were facing giants like OnePlus, Samsung and Xiaomi. So they used their goal-setting framework which is: “I want to achieve X metric in Y time with Z constraints.”
For this team, it meant that they wanted to increase the iPhone’s market share while building on the best camera narrative in the next 3 months. They even established three tiers of metrics to see if they were successful or not:
- Leading Metric: They wanted to see if this campaign caused an immediate bump in iPhone sales numbers.
- Lagging Metric: They wanted to check how many users specifically bought the iPhone for the camera and for creating content.
- Long-Term Metric: Did this campaign increase Apple’s market share by positioning the iPhone as a creator tool?
Step 2: Choosing the Right Research Strategy
Apur’s framework identifies two main approaches: short-term research and long-term research.
- Short-term research means the “beg, borrow, steal” principle, where you use existing data to gather quick insights.
- Long-term research involves talking to users, shadowing them in their day-to-day life, and probing them to understand their behaviors and motivations.
Apple only had 3 months to execute a campaign, so they opted for a short-term, high-impact research approach. They could only do this because Apple has historically conducted constant research, giving them a solid foundation of insights to build upon.
Their research revealed something interesting: despite the perception that Indian consumers were primarily price-driven, camera quality actually ranked as the number one feature people cared about.
Also Read : How Naturals Disrupted India’s ₹30,000 Cr Ice Cream Market
As the research team kept digging, they identified usage patterns that competitors were missing:
- Families using phones to document celebrations and events.
- Parents capturing baby milestones.
- Festivals like Diwali and Holi preserved on phone cameras.
- Students and educators creating educational content.
- Personal content creation for social media.
Apple’s research was validated when they looked at competitor strategies. Samsung was pushing its 108MP sensor, Xiaomi had partnered with Leica, and Vivo had teamed up with Zeiss — all focusing on camera specs. But no one claimed the narrative of a professional video creation tool.
Step 3: Generating Meaningful Insights
Apur’s framework emphasizes turning research into actionable intelligence through patterns, pain points, recurring themes, and validation.
Apple did this brilliantly. They identified their target audience: young creators who wanted to make an impact but saw the cost of professional-grade equipment as a barrier.
From this, they extracted a central theme:
“Document lives professionally without expensive tech and equipment.”
Step 4: Building a Compelling Narrative
Once you have your central theme, Apur’s storytelling framework suggests using emotional or action-based appeals and keywords that match your audience’s language. Apple’s team knew they had to demonstrate, not just talk about, their narrative. Like MrBeast says: “Show, don’t tell.”
Also Read : How This Startup is BEATING India’s Top Ice Cream Brands?
So they created a bold campaign idea:
A Bollywood film shot entirely on the iPhone.
Bollywood, with its production value, dance sequences, and cinematography, was the perfect testing ground. If the iPhone could handle that, it could handle anything.
They partnered with mega director Vishal Bharadwaj to create Fursat, a 30-minute film combining a classic love triangle with a sci-fi time travel twist. The story was designed to resonate broadly, not target a niche.
Initially, they released the film without heavily emphasizing that it was shot on iPhone. The reveal came only at the end, making viewers rewatch it in disbelief. But Apple didn’t stop there — they released behind-the-scenes content showing how the film was made, building trust that these results were achievable by anyone.
Step 5: Measuring Results
The results were extraordinary:
- 150 million+ views
- Headlines across major media
- Wave of user-generated content by iPhone filmmakers
But the most significant result was a change in consumer perception: the iPhone transformed from a luxury status symbol to a professional creative tool.
By proving that a pocket device could replace expensive equipment, Apple didn’t just run a campaign — they redefined a brand.
Conclusion
Apple’s Bollywood film wasn’t just a bold marketing move — it was the outcome of a powerful, research-backed five-step storytelling framework:
- Set clear goals with defined metrics
- Choose a research strategy that fits your timeline
- Extract real insights that reveal new opportunities
- Build a compelling narrative that resonates emotionally
- Measure the real-world impact on perception and results
This was not just one movie — it was a series of calculated steps that reimagined Apple’s image in India and created a deep connection with a creative generation.
That is the power of research-driven storytelling.
FAQs
Q1: What is the name of the Bollywood movie created by Apple?
A: The film is called Fursat, directed by Vishal Bharadwaj and shot entirely on the iPhone.
Q2: Why was this campaign so successful in India?
A: It tapped into cultural relevance, demonstrated real value (camera as a professional tool), and connected emotionally with young creators.
Q3: Was the movie explicitly marketed as being shot on iPhone?
A: No, the reveal came at the end of the movie, surprising viewers and increasing the impact of the message.
Q4: What was Apple’s core insight from their research?
A: Indian consumers, despite price sensitivity, prioritized camera quality — especially for documenting life events and creating content.
Q5: Can other brands use this five-step storytelling framework?
A: Yes, the framework is adaptable and can help brands of all sizes connect better with their audience through strategic storytelling.
