The silhouette of the iPod is known throughout the world. In fact, there doesn’t have to be a name on the ad, or even a clear image of the iPod product, and yet the public knows the ad belongs to the ever-innovative Apple. A marketing ploy that took on a life of its own, the iPod silhouette is now an icon unto itself, just like the device it was meant to market, the iPod.

When Apple was about to market the iPod, it needed advertising that would stay in the minds of its customers. They wanted something that represented the genius of the iPod, something that would change the face of advertising as easily as the iPod could change the face of the music industry. The iPod was revolutionary, so the advertising had to be revolutionary too.

The famous iPod commercial began with a person dancing, in shadow, against a brightly colored background. The silhouette danced to the music while holding an iPod and listening to the tunes through the iconic headphones, which appeared in white in the ads, thus standing out from the dancer and the background. The sight became so common that it soon had its own name: The Silhouette.

The ads were an instant hit, and the iPod campaign became recognizable practically overnight. Not only was the silhouette popular on television, it was also common to see a silhouette, caught in a wild dance moment, on the side of a building or billboard, iPod in hand. Occasionally, an ad would appear without an iPod in sight, but headphones would be shown, a sign that even iPod accessories had entered mainstream culture.

The silhouette ad has changed a bit over the years, but still features the same classic style of a silhouette dancing against a contrasting background. In some cases, only part of the ad was contrasting. In a more recent ad for the new aluminum color of some iPod cases, dancers are seen waving their iPods in the air, and a trail of luminescent light follows the device around the screen.

Silhouette ads were so popular that celebrities clamored to appear in them. The ads developed their own following, with customers looking for the new ones, and discussions about who might show up next were common on message boards. The silhouette of the iPod began to appear on television shows. Soon, the iPod silhouette was represented by trendsetters and legends alike, including U2, Mary J. Blige, Paul McCartney, Eminem, and Bob Dylan.

The silhouette has found its way into other parts of popular culture as well. It is now a popular technique for wedding photos, common among scrapbooking enthusiasts, often appearing on posters and car decals. Apple has always been at the forefront of advertising, but it was never more apparent than in the iPod silhouette ads and the storm of appreciation that followed.