Mac and Apple software fans got a plethora of news during WWDC 2024. As is customary with this event, viewers were also treated to multiple appearances from a very familiar face: senior vice president of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, AKA Hair Force One.
Like all Apple spokespeople, Craig is happy to share his expertise on all the upcoming releases. However, this man does his segments with a little pizzazz. This started with a few on-stage jokes back when WWDC was in front of a live audience, but the pre-recorded events have turned these into short comedy sketches.
Love or hate his skits (the team at Tech Advisor is most definitely split), you’ll certainly remember them. With that in mind, I’ve rounded up some of the highlights of Craig’s Apple event adventures over the years, including some of his latest antics during WWDC 2024.
Craig Federighi throws himself out of a plane
Where do I begin? For WWDC 2024 Craig assembles a (very lacklustre) crew, and the only way to get to HQ is by jumping out of an Apple-themed jet, in corporate jumpsuits. Craig even gets a custom helmet shaped like his iconic bonce, living up to the Hair Force One nickname.
Safety protocols? Never heard of them. Instead, it’s imperative that Craig packs his AirPods before jumping from over 12,000 feet, backwards. He even manages to make time to turn his iPhone off of Airplane Mode before deploying his parachute.
Shout out to the iconic pilot Phil with his Topgun-esque outfit, 1st-gen iPod and grumpy man energy. He’s done with Craig’s antics.
Craig Federighi gets his James Bond entrance
Forget just walking into a shot like all the other Apple chumps. That’s just not how Craig does things.
For his MacOS segment in 2020, Craig dramatically reveals a vintage red sports car and drives to a hidden (seemingly underground) Apple base without a single hair on his bequiffed head being swept out of place.
Extra points are given for the OTT vertical sliding door, the strut through the room, and most importantly, the fact that Apple CarPlay is installed on this retro vehicle.
Craig Federighi heads ‘downstairs’
The rumours about Apple’s HQ being like Doctor Evil’s lair continue. We cut away from CEO Tim Cook via a drone shot across the Apple campus, which isn’t anything groundbreaking for this sort of event. However, Craig is ready and waiting, holding a power stance in the middle of the room like a character from Street Fighter.
It turns out he must take us on a twenty (!) second elevator ride, where the entire floor opens up after he taps once on his Apple Watch. We descend through two seemingly blank, empty rooms, before ending on a final empty space to chat about iOS.
Sadly, we’ve not found this feature to work on our Apple Watches. It must be reserved for Craig only.
Craig Federighi has his Baywatch moment
There are several moments in which Craig runs – clearly, he likes to get in his cardio during WWDC. However, the iPadOS segment in 2022 is extra special, as Craig takes off as fast as The Flash through Apple HQ.
The camera slows down, giving us an HD shot of the software engineer running his hand through his bouncing, silver locks. He then skids into the frame (shoes squeaking and all) without breaking stride in his presentation.
This skit truly brings the Hair Force One joke to the forefront. Admittedly this clip has added a different song than the one in the original, but it only adds to the humour.
Craig Federighi seduces a MacBook
Typically, most of Craig’s skits occur when he’s introducing a new segment, so this one really caught me off guard.
When discussing a new feature on how MacBooks now wake from sleep instantly, he decides to “set the mood” by dimming the lights to a sultry pink and playing some Barry White in the background as he stares far too intimately at the laptop in front of him.
Get a room, Craig!
Craig Federighi summons an iPad with Magneto powers
Apple fans will know that Craig loves a demo. Last year, the Federighi lore became even more convoluted when we learnt that Craig apparently has the ability to summon an iPad at will, and then send it back again.
He even adopts a serious expression of concentration as he’s using his power. You’ve got to applaud the commitment. He even brought this joke back in 2024.
Craig Federighi takes a leap of faith
This is a shorty, but a goody. Craig continues to prove that he’s allergic to walking from one segment to the next by opening a hole in the ground with his foot, before seemingly jumping into the abyss.
But don’t worry, he lands safely in the dimly lit ‘Privacy’ room to discuss a serious topic for Apple users.
Now I’m desperate to go on a tour of Apple HQ. Not necessarily to get all the juicy details on the new iPhone, but to see these MI5-style rooms which you enter from the ceiling.
Craig Federighi does parkour
First leaps of faith, now freerunning through buildings… Craig must think he’s in Assassin’s Creed. Thankfully, the senior vice president isn’t running to a murder contract, but just further down the building to chat about MacOS.
I particularly appreciate the grunts of effort as he swings over the perfectly usable stairs and the skater-style music in the background. I can only hope that this is how he gets to all of his meetings.
Craig Federighi plays a guitar with three necks
This clip is a nod to what is arguably Craig’s standout moment, where he shredded a guitar solo on stage during a live event.
This time he’s ditched his signature blue dress shirt and slacks for a biker-style leather jacket with 2000s’ emo-style badges pinned to the front. He’s also holding a guitar with three necks, which is excessive as he only really plays one.
However, I’ll forgive this because the solo he busts out is rather impressive, and a great introduction for Ron, the next speaker.
There are many other moments – Craig accidentally walking in on fitness classes, rickrolling a live audience and of course that infamous (yet admittedly non-WWDC) time that he tried to demo Face ID in front of a whole audience for iPhone X and IT DIDN’T WORK.
Hopefully, there are plenty more corkers for the YouTube meme playbook to come. You can read up on the headliners of WWDC 2024, including Apple Intelligence and the missing feature from watchOS.
Author: Hannah Cowton-Barnes, Entertainment Editor, Tech Advisor
As Tech Advisor's Entertainment Editor, Hannah is the resident expert in all things streaming, film and TV. Before joining Tech Advisor in 2019, she studied Theatre and Performance at the University of Leeds and created a website dedicated to geek culture and lifestyle. She's also reviewed a whole range of gadgets including flagship smartphones, wearables and styling tools. Outside of Foundry, she's written freelance pieces for Polygon, Metro and Den of Geek, and is proud to be a Women Techmakers Ambassador for Google.