Apple launched an advertisement named “Crush!” to promote its newly introduced ultra-thin iPad Pro this week. However, the ad quickly became the target of intense criticism over the past two days. Apple acknowledged that the ad was not well received and was misunderstood, prompting a public apology. Here are the details…
Apple apologizes after backlash to iPad Pro ad
The advertisement shows musical instruments, paints, camera lenses, books, film characters, sculptures, and many other items being crushed. Apple intended the ad to convey that the iPad can also accomplish such creative works; however, this concept was not well received by viewers. They aimed to highlight the power of the iPad, but things went a bit awry.
In a statement to Ad Age, Apple’s Vice President of Marketing Communications, Tor Myhren, said, “Creativity is in Apple’s DNA, and empowering creative works worldwide is extremely important to us. We always want to celebrate the ways users can express themselves and bring their ideas to life with the iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we apologize.”
The ad did not sit well with artists and audiences alike. The criticism mainly focused on the physical destruction of creative tools and the idea of replacing artistic creativity with a tech product. Apple’s goal was to demonstrate how users could create remarkable things with an iPad.
The ad was initially released on Tim Cook’s Twitter and Apple’s YouTube channel. Apple had not yet spent much money promoting the ad, and has now decided to cancel its TV broadcast. However, the video is still available on online platforms.
It seems that while Apple intended to support and inspire people, they took a slightly wrong step. We are confident they will learn from this incident and be more careful in the future. What are your thoughts on this news? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section below.