IPod Dancers

iPod Commercial Design

Although there have been a few variations, the commercial style most closely associated with the iPod is the dancing silhouette. The darkened outlines of the iPod dancers move to a featured song. Solid-colored backgrounds provide contrast, and the dancers' iPods remain white to stand out above all other elements. The songs included in the ads can lead to a surge in interest and sales, as many bands enter the public consciousness for the first time. iPod commercials are such a part of popular culture that they were even satirized on the television show Family Guy, with the baby Stewie's silhouette dancing to "Warrior" by Scandal.

iPod Commercials Featuring Dancers

• "Take California " by Propellerheads – With this early commercial, the formula had yet to be established. It simply featured an average guy dancing in his home office after transferring music from his computer to his iPod.
• "Hey Mama" by The Black Eyed Peas
• "Rock Star" by N.E.R.D.
• "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet
• "Feature Cast" by Channel Surfing
• "Walkie Talkie Man" by Steriogram
• "Saturday Night" by Ozomatli
• "Vertigo" by U2 – The band appeared in this commercial, and although they were shadowed and shaded to match the backgrounds, they did not receive the full silhouette treatment.
• "Ride" by The Vines
• "Jerk It Out" by Caesars – To introduce the iPod shuffle, this commercial changed the style a bit, with the iPod dancers dancing on and around a series of arrows representing the music player's controls.
• "Technologic" by Daft Punk
• "Feel Good, Inc." by Gorillaz - This commercial was unique in featuring roller skating dancers.
• "Lose Yourself" by Eminem – The background style changed slightly for this ad, with both Eminem and the dancers interacting with the outlines of an urban cityscape.
• "Sparks" by Wynton Marsalis
• "Love Train" by Wolfmother – iPod changed up the dancers' background yet again, with psychedelic swirls.
• "Someday Baby" by Bob Dylan – Although the focus is on Bob Dylan in this ad, the lone dancer gets more face time than usual, with her body shadowed rather than completely silhouetted.
• "Flathead" by The Fratellis – The entire color scheme is twisted for this commercial. Instead of black, the dancers' outlines are filled with bright, clashing colors.
• "1234" by Feist – This video deviated from the standard format in order to tout the iPod nano's video capabilities. The dancers in the original music video for the song perform a dance reminiscent of Broadway production numbers.
• "Work That" by Mary J. Blige
• "Shut Up and Let Me Go" by The Ting Tings – This ad continues the Technicolor hues of a few previous commercials.

Known iPod Dancers

The iPod dancers are largely anonymous, due to the style of the advertisements. However, two have emerged from behind the silhouettes.

David Elsewhere

David Elsewhere appears in the commercial featuring "Technologic" by Daft Punk, dancing in his signature loose-limbed style. In fact, he may actually be the body behind other dancers in the video, as video footage is often manipulated to make it appear as if others are dancing like him. His style is just that distinctive and difficult to replicate.

Mandy Coulton

Dancer Mandy Coulton made a few headlines in 2005 when she revealed herself as one of the iPod dancers. News outlets loved her claim that she made so little for the gig that she couldn't afford the product she was hired to sell. However, it seems to be a case of someone receiving her 15 minutes of fame, as only a few blog posts about the issue remain.

As the iPod enjoys continued success in its various incarnations, there are sure to be many iPod dancers yet to come.