• by Todd Wasserman , August 8, 2022

This ad for Beats By Dre, the Apple-owned line of headphones and speakers launched by Dr. Dre, is unexpectedly philosophical and thoughtful.

The ad is presented as pencil sketches from U.K. footballer Marcus Rashford, featuring Rashford’s voiceover. “To me, greatness is a painting,” Rashford says, “and like all art, it has a clear beginning, but no real end.” Rashford goes on to say that only you know how you can find the extra energy to push through to meet your goals.

The ad is unusual for Beats in that it doesn’t feature a music superstar and doesn’t have any supporting music, but instead underscores the Beats user’s autonomy and mindset involved in pushing through goals.

Personally, I don’t think of Beats in such personal terms, but rather see the devices as a way to listen to my favorite songs or podcasts while I’m mowing the lawn or going for a run. But to those who do see Beats headphones in that light, this ad is for them.