Apple just released its first iPad 2 commercial, and instead of some of the more feature-oriented commercials we’ve come to see from Apple lately – especially with regard to the iPhone – this ad is a little softer and a bit more sentimental: it reminds us a bit of the old “Think Different” days.

The commercial, titled “We Believe,” starts off by talking about what Apple’s philosophy is – that technology is a wonderful thing but it’s nothing without the people who want to use it to do incredible things, and by proxy the ad wants you to remember that you are – or could be if you buy an iPad 2 – one of those people, and that the “We” in the commercials also includes you.

It’s a great piece of advertising, and it really does harken back to the days where Apple’s ads were a bit more sentimental and airy, making broad value statements about the company, its products, and the people who choose to use them. Are we seeing a return to those days? I doubt it, but it’s very likely that Apple is going to call on the sentimental a bit more in future advertising. After all, back when Apple’s market share and market cap were both lower, they were accused of not really marketing their products and instead marketing an atmosphere and perspective. Now that Apple’s a bigger company, they can afford to tell you what their products can make you feel instead of what they do.