Apple's Ad Misfire: Grist for Social Media But That's All

In the age of social influencing, quick first takes, and harvesting of clicks, the crowds swarm over topics important and trivial, then move on to the next thing.

One of Apple's ads for the new iPad has attracted negative attention:[bold added]

An Apple advertisement that depicts a patchwork of creative tools being crushed and revealing a new iPad in their place is facing broad criticism on social media.

The ad, which Chief Executive Tim Cook posted on X after Apple unveiled new iPads Tuesday, depicts a studio filled with musical instruments, a record player, cans of paint with vibrant colors and other items being physically crushed by what appears to be a giant compressor.

When the compressor lifts, an ultrathin iPad is all that remains in place of the tools.

“Apple’s new iPad Pro ad is a rare fail from a normally flawless advertiser,” Peter Intermaggio, a former marketing and advertising executive for companies including Comcast, wrote on LinkedIn. For a brand that “elevates creators, this is an ad that celebrates destruction. It is heavy handed and nihilistic.”

While the ad, named “Crush!” emphasizes the thinness of the iPad, a point Apple executives highlighted when they unveiled the device, some critics saw it as an ominous symbol of the company’s power, the rise of artificial intelligence and its potential to replace human creativity.

Your humble blogger felt a little uncomfortable watching the artifacts of his era being "crushed" and amalgamated into a new iPad.

Not liking this ad should have no bearing on customers' decision to purchase an iPad. Dear reader, if that was the determining factor in not buying a thousand-dollar item, your decision-making process likely needs some work (in my humble opinion).

Below is the ad in question.



Update - 5/9: Apple Apologizes for iPad Ad Depicting Crushed Creative Tools