Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 ad with Vini Jr. is a dance film with no music

The 2026 FIFA World Cup began today, and Apple has chosen the moment to launch a campaign for AirPods Pro 3 built around one of football’s most recognisable figures — Vini Jr., the Brazilian forward who plays for Real Madrid and the Brazil national team.

The 30-second film, titled Dança, follows Vini Jr. as he dances through noisy streets and environments. There is no music on the soundtrack. Viewers hear only the ambient noise around him — noise that, crucially, does not reach him at all. The conceit is simple: whatever he is listening to, only he can hear it, because his AirPods Pro 3 are doing the work.

It is an unusual creative choice for an audio product. Most earphone advertisements would play up the music aspect. Apple has done the opposite, using silence — or rather, the absence of the wearer’s music — to make the case for Active Noise Cancellation more vividly than a conventional demo might.

Vini Jr. is well known for dancing during goal celebrations, both solo and in group choreography with teammates, which makes him a natural fit for the concept. He said the ad made him want viewers to imagine their own soundtrack, noting that everyone experiences music differently and that the film leaves room for that.

On the technical side, Apple claims AirPods Pro 3 offer the world’s best in-ear Active Noise Cancellation. The earbuds remove up to 2x more noise than AirPods Pro 2, and up to 4x more than the original AirPods Pro.

Beyond noise cancellation, AirPods Pro 3 include spatial audio, heart rate sensing, hearing aid functionality, and Live Translation. 

Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak shared the campaign on social media. The ad runs in 30, 15, and 6-second versions across television, social, and digital platforms globally.