On Tuesday, May 7, when Apple introduced the new iPad Pro models powered by the M4, it also showed an ad during the event titled “Crush!”, which had people talking about it and made them criticise Apple due to which the brand has reportedly apologised by saying that it “missed the mark” with that particular advertisement.
Apple’s Vice President of Marketing, Tor Myhren, provided a statement to Ad Age, saying that “Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world.” “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”, he added. It was also confirmed that the advertisement won’t be aired on television.
Shortly after the launch event, when Apple CEO Tim Cook posted the same iPad Pro Crush Ad video on his X account, users barged in with comments criticising the video. The video shows a bunch of creative tools, such as a record player, trumpets, paints, balls, etc., being crushed by a hydraulic press, and when it opens back, only the new iPad Pro is left. “I can’t relate to this video at all. It lacks any respect for creative equipment and mocks the creators”, one of the users commented below Tim Cook’s post.
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Hugh Grant called it a “destruction of human experience,” while Handmaid’s Tale director Reed Morano told Tim Cook to “read the room” in an X post. Some users defend Apple, suggesting that the brand implied the iPad Pro is the ultimate tool that can provide you with the same functionality of those creative tools in a single device and not act as a replacement for those creative tools.
In related news, Apple debuted new hardware earlier this week apart from the iPad Pro, including the iPad Air, a new Magic Keyboard, and a new Apple Pencil. The new iPad Air, for the first time, comes in two sizes, including a bigger 13-inch model. The new iPad Air 2024 is powered by the M2 chip and has a front-facing camera at the right EDGE of the device instead of at the top.