In 2008, Blackberry ruled the smartphone market. Its secure messaging and closed ecosystem made it the device of choice for business and government, while its iconic keyboard became a corporate status symbol.
Apple’s iPhone, by contrast, was seen by many as a flashy consumer toy: beautifully designed, but not built for serious work.
Then Apple made a radical move: the App Store.
Instead of controlling the entire experience like Blackberry, Apple opened its platform to developers. Anyone with coding skills could create an iPhone app, instantly expanding what the device could do.
To make the point crystal clear, Apple launched a campaign that would become one of the most effective in marketing history. With just six words—“There’s an app for that”—Apple shifted the conversation. The iPhone wasn’t just a phone, it was a platform.
It was a direct challenge to Blackberry’s walled garden … and it worked. Within a few years, the iPhone had overtaken its rival, and the phrase had gone viral.
Apple’s iPhone “There’s an App for That” Ad
How the Campaign Worked
The “There’s an App for That” campaign launched in 2009 and ran throughout 2010. It featured a series of commercials that spotlighted specific, relatable problems, like checking your heart rate, tracking workouts, and converting currency.
The idea was to show potential users how the iPhone could solve each one instantly.
Trading the product pitch for a mindset shift
Apple normalized apps through use. The ads embedded apps into real-life scenarios. Each example made it easier to imagine how the iPhone could improve your own routines.
The phrase did all the work
It was memorable and functional. In just six words, Apple encapsulated its brand promise. The phrase suggested that no matter the problem, a pocket digital solution was available to address it. It delivered clarity, confidence, and a touch of magic.
Every ad sold the platform
The App Store was the real hero. By showcasing different apps in each ad, Apple illustrated the range of the ecosystem. This created the sense that the iPhone was constantly expanding in usefulness.
Grounded in the everyday
Instead of telling people what the iPhone could do for them, Apple showed them. There were no grand narratives or aspirational fantasies.
The stories in the ads featured ordinary people doing familiar things, but doing them better, faster, and smarter.
Apple’s iPhone “There’s an App for That” Small Business Ad
Why the Campaign Worked
Beyond the memorable slogan and strong ad creative, Apple made several subtle, strategic moves that helped the campaign last longer and go deeper than many traditional product marketing initiatives.
A modular message system
Each ad stood alone but supported a broader system. Each ad contributed to proving the point. New ads added new use cases. The message kept expanding, showing that the App Store was not niche but capable of handling greater diversity.
It was a message that scaled.
Semantic shift toward phones as assistants
Apple was preparing the user’s mindset for voice assistants and intelligent services even before Siri. The campaign reframed the phone as something that could do much more than make calls and send texts.
It was a tool for many tasks that met a multitude of needs.
Campaign Impact and Results
The campaign changed the mobile industry and Apple’s fortunes. The statistics tell the story.
- One billion app downloads. Nine months after launching the App Store, Apple reported one billion total app downloads.
- 100,000 apps available. Despite its slim catalog at launch, the App Store grew rapidly with more than 100,000 apps available by November 2009.
- Record-breaking iPhone sales. By September 2009, Apple had sold 7.4 million iPhones in the quarter, a new record.
- Phrasing worth trademarking. Apple filed for a trademark on “There’s an App for That” in December 2009, securing the phrase as intellectual property.
“There’s an app for that” entered pop culture and stayed. It’s still referenced on late-night television, parodied in memes, and even became a running joke in corporate boardrooms. The line escaped the confines of a campaign long ago to become shorthand for digital convenience.
Marketer Takeaways
Apple’s approach built brand language with staying power. For marketers looking to build campaigns that scale across touchpoints and time, Apple’s campaign delivers a playbook.
- Embed the benefit in the language. Your tagline should focus on what the product does for the customer.
- Define the vocabulary. By owning the word “app,” Apple defined the category and made its brand inseparable from it.
- Design for cultural velocity. Craft messages that people will repeat naturally in conversation. Marketing that spreads by word-of-mouth is more durable than paid media alone.
- Think in systems, not slogans. A great line is just the beginning. The best campaigns have repeatable structures that reinforce them.
- Keep it simple to scale. One phrase should support many examples. That modularity is what allowed Apple to build dozens of consistent ads.
- Center the user journey. The campaign made users the heroes. The product was a tool, not the focus.
- Protect your IP. When your campaign slogan enters the cultural lexicon, secure it with a trademark.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why was “There’s an App for That” so effective?
It captured Apple’s full value proposition in six clear words, shifting attention from features to outcomes and embedding the iPhone into everyday life. This shift transformed the conversation from what a phone is to what it does for you.
How did this campaign impact mobile marketing?
It reframed the phone as a platform, inspiring a new wave of app-centric campaigns and UX design focused on user goals.
When did Apple trademark the phrase?
Apple filed for the trademark in December 2009 and secured it in 2010, recognizing the commercial and cultural power of the phrase.
What made the ads different from other tech campaigns?
The focus was on everyday people solving practical problems, without technical jargon or aspirational framing.
How did the campaign fuel App Store growth?
By showing how specific apps made life easier, the campaign encouraged users to explore the App Store and developers to build for it.
