By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS (AP Business Writer)
NEW YORK (AP) — A new advertisement promoting the Apple’s latest iPad Pro has sparked significant online discussion.
The ad, which was released released by the tech company on Tuesday, depicts a hydraulic press crushing various creative tools used by artists and consumers over the years — from a piano and record player, to piles of paint, books, cameras and relics of arcade games. And the result of this destruction? A brand new iPad Pro.
“At the end of the commercial, a narrator declares, “The thinnest iPad is also the most powerful one.”
Apple’s goal appears simple: Highlight the capabilities of the new product. However, critics have deemed it insensitive, with many marketing experts noting that the campaign missed the mark.
“I had a really disturbing reaction to the ad,” said Americus Reed II, a marketing professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “I understood the concept, but … I think the way it came across is, here is technology overpowering the joy of the past.”
Additionally, the ad arrives at a time when many people feel uncertain or anxious about the potential replacement of their work or daily routines by technological advancements — especially in the midst of the rapid commercialization of generative artificial intelligence. And witnessing cherished items being destroyed only adds to these concerns, according to Reed and others.
Several celebrities also joined the chorus of criticism against Apple’s “Crush!” commercial on social media this week.
“The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley,” actor Hugh Grant wrote on the social media platform X, in a repost of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s sharing of the ad.
Some found the ad to be a poignant symbol of the current industry — particularly highlighting worries about big tech adversely impacting creatives. Filmmaker Justine Bateman wrote on X that the commercial “crushes the arts.”
Experts also noted that the commercial represented a significant departure from Apple's previous marketing approach, which has often been more positive or uplifting.
“My initial thought was that Apple has become exactly what it never wanted to be,” Vann Graves, executive director of the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brandcenter, said.
Graves referred to Apple’s famed 1984 ad introducing the Macintosh computer, which he said focused more on promoting creativity and thinking outside of the box as a unique individual. In contrast, Graves added, “this (new iPad) commercial says, ‘No, we’re going to take all the creativity in the world and use a hydraulic press to push it down into one device that everyone uses.’”
In a statement shared with Ad Age on Thursday, Apple expressed regret for the ad. The publication also reported that Apple no longer intends to air the advertisement on TV.
“Creativity is part of our identity at Apple, and it’s extremely important for us to design products that empower creatives worldwide,” Tor Myhren, the company’s vice president of marketing communications, told Ad Age. “Our objective is to always celebrate the various ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry.”
Apple, which is based in Cupertino, California, revealed its most recent models of iPad Pros and Airs earlier this week in a presentation that praised new features for both product lines. The Pro has a new slimmer design, a new M4 processor for extra processing power, slightly improved storage, and uses dual OLED panels for a brighter, clearer display.
Apple is attempting to boost demand for iPads after its sales of the tablets dropped 17% from last year during the January-March period. Since its debut in 2010, which helped reshape the tablet market, the iPad has become a small part of Apple’s success. It currently makes up only 6% of the company’s sales.
