Apple apologizes for iPad Pro 'Crush' ad after massive backlash

AppleInsider

Apple has scrapped plans to run its infamous iPad Pro "Crush" ad, issuing an apology for coming off insensitive toward artists.

Apple's 'Crush' ad

At Tuesday's Apple Event, Apple unveiled its new iPad Air and iPad Pro lineup. During the event, it also debuted a new iPad Pro commercial, dubbed "Crush."

The one-minute ad shows paints, guitars, toys, sculptures, and more, all being crushed by a hydraulic press, which then rises up again to reveal the iPad Pro. Artists quickly pointed out the ad was insensitive -- and more than a little creepy.

While the ad was meant to highlight how many features were packed into Apple's thinnest product ever, many creatives felt it more allegorical to technology crushing human creativity.

Now, the Cupertino-based company is apologizing to its consumers and has planned to scrap running the ad on television.

"Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it's incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world," Tor Myhren, the company's VP of marketing communications, said in a statement obtained by Ad Age.

"Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we're sorry."

"Crush" isn't the first time in recent history that Apple has been called out, either.

During the iPhone 15 event in September, Apple aired a five-minute comedy sketch meant to highlight the company's environmental efforts. Instead, most viewers found the ad awkward and repetitive.



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mikethemartian

They are going to replace it with an ad where they kill Bambi.

sunman42

mikethemartian said:

They are going to replace it with an ad where they kill Bambi.

 Bambi vs. Godzilla, one of the best animated movies ever.

napoleon_phoneapart

sunman42 said:

mikethemartian said:

They are going to replace it with an ad where they kill Bambi.

 Bambi vs. Godzilla, one of the best animated movies ever.

Don't forget Gamera, because Gamera is friend to children!

canukstorm

This is a great ad that conveys exactly what it's supposed to.  Apple is silly and weak to apologize for this ad.  So much for courage.  The Twitter mob making an unnecessary big deal over this ad need to get a life.

bulk001

I would say it makes Apple look like they are in touch with their audience. Comes across as authentic and heartfelt and will end the issue which is what any company wants when they run into an issue. Apple came to look like IBM (crossed with Victoria Secret with their obsession on thinness) and this apology just does away with all that.  

sflagel

It’s not just about the feelings of creators; why would anyone celebrate the destruction of wonderful analogue tools, often themselves pieces of art and exquisite craftsmanship? If anything, the ad makes one NOT want to get an iPad and buy a canvas and oil paints instead. 

Xed

canukstorm said:

This is a great ad that conveys exactly what it's supposed to.  Apple is silly and weak to apologize for this ad.  So much for courage.  The Twitter mob making an unnecessary big deal over this ad need to get a life.

The outrage over an ad that correctly illustrates that the iPad can do so many things is ridiculous, but it takes courage to both acknowledge that you've missed the mark with a target audience and then to apologize for it. It's cowardice to pretend that an individual or company, no matter how intelligent or successful, has no blindspot.

Personally, I thought the ad was great and even after reading about several explanations as to why it's upsetting to some people, I don't get it. But I will fully acknowledge that I'm not an iPad user in the traditional sense so my viewpoint on this matter is, at best, very limited.

MplsP

Next Apple will apologize that some snowflakes were crushed when they shoveled the walk.

DavidEsrati

I fixed the ad for them

avon b7

They should have said "You're watching it wrong" but in an empathetic way and left it as is.

It's difficult to please everyone but there wasn't really anything in it to warrant scrapping it.

The mother nature sketch was longwinded, awkward and cheesy. It wasn't the end of the world though. Sometimes you hit the target bang on, and others you miss. 

I, personally, didn't find the 'crush' ad to be all that much. More of a 'miss' but, to scrap it?

mattinoz

DavidEsrati said:

I fixed the ad for them

While I'm still baffled by the outage, but this is seriously so much better. 

robin huber

Silly overreaction by viewers. But if it really did come from creators, and they are the target audience, then Apple’s reaction was a cautiously wise business decision. I confess to wincing a bit when I saw those cameras crushed, but was not offended. It was witty and edgy; very Apple. 

jbishop1039

Should’ve just said it was all AI and that no actual pianos were hurt in the making of this ad. 

dtownwarrior

If we have a global warming problem, then why are there more snowflakes then ever? 😝

Seriously though, why are we letting a minority of displeased and sensitive people ruin everything.  I let my high-school age kid watch it and she doesn’t get the controversy. Apple doesn’t have to apologize for this ad because a group of people are in their feelings.  What about the people who actually liked the ad.  Do our thoughts not matter?   Life used to be fun, until both the far-left and far-right ruined everything.

BB92647

I’m actually one of the cringe “mob” that disliked the ad. As a musician, it broke my heart to see pianos and guitars splinter and get crushed under a metal slab.  Instead of celebrating these instruments for the infinite possibilities of creativity they can produce, it was just destroyed. Was jerryrigeverything pulling the lever? 

I can’t speak for the other commentators here, but I also wince when I see YouTubers destroy perfectly fine hardware for clicks. That’s what this felt like. Would I have the same reaction is some vintage Ferrari was crushed? Probably not… I don’t care about cars at all. But that doesn’t mean I can’t see the value of the “art” of that object. 

Long story short, I think apple did the right thing and didn’t wait for the groundswell to overshadow the new iPads.  

mpantone

They just need to throw in the obligatory disclaimer:

"No actual art supplies nor musical instruments were harmed in the making of this commercial."

Because art supplies and musical instruments are not cheap.

  

cincytee

Xed said:

Personally, I thought the ad was great and even after reading about several explanations as to why it's upsetting to some people, I don't get it.

Here's my take: Working musicians like me are so careful to protect and respect our instruments. They're connected to us and fairly fragile (my century-old violin is at its root a wooden box that could be easily destroyed). Seeing those instruments crushed in this ad was upsetting – not traumatizing – and, more important, did not make me want to buy one of these iPads. There are other ways to get the same point across, like having these objects CGI-sucked into a circuit board. Good for Apple simply to admit this ad misfired and move on.

Xed

cincytee said:

Xed said:

Personally, I thought the ad was great and even after reading about several explanations as to why it's upsetting to some people, I don't get it.

Here's my take: Working musicians like me are so careful to protect and respect our instruments. They're connected to us and fairly fragile (my century-old violin is at its root a wooden box that could be easily destroyed). Seeing those instruments crushed in this ad was upsetting – not traumatizing – and, more important, did not make me want to buy one of these iPads. There are other ways to get the same point across, like having these objects CGI-sucked into a circuit board. Good for Apple simply to admit this ad misfired and move on.

Can you explain further why CGI instruments being compressed into the iPad was upsetting at all? I find the killing of puppies and murder wrong, but I didn't get upset when watching John Wick. At least with Apple's ad the intent was that the instruments ended up in the iPad whereas with John Wick the puppy was simply dead.

mattinoz

cincytee said:

Xed said:

Personally, I thought the ad was great and even after reading about several explanations as to why it's upsetting to some people, I don't get it.

Here's my take: Working musicians like me are so careful to protect and respect our instruments. They're connected to us and fairly fragile (my century-old violin is at its root a wooden box that could be easily destroyed). Seeing those instruments crushed in this ad was upsetting – not traumatizing – and, more important, did not make me want to buy one of these iPads. There are other ways to get the same point across, like having these objects CGI-sucked into a circuit board. Good for Apple simply to admit this ad misfired and move on.

Everything other than the PacMac machine could have been sourced from good will organisations having to reject donations due oversupply. 

debonbon

How some people don’t see how this advert is on the nose is beyond me. Making an ad trying to appeal to creatives by showing all their beloved tools being crushed and replaced by a tablet. I LOVE my iPad Air but I also LOVE my guitars, keyboards, amp etc. It was just really dumb idea and how they didn’t foresee such a reaction is bizarre.