What looked like a snappy ad for Apple’s latest iPad now looks like a marketing disaster. The ad, “Crush!”, features a montage of creative tools – instruments, paintings, books – meeting an unceremonious end under a hydraulic press.
The intent? Showcase the iPad Pro’s thin design. The result? An outcry on social media. Since CEO Tim Cook shared it,the ad has racked up thousands of comments blasting Apple for seemingly disrespecting creators and the tools of their craft.
Meet the new iPad Pro: the thinnest product we’ve ever created, the most advanced display we’ve ever produced, with the incredible power of the M4 chip. Just imagine all the things it’ll be used to create. pic.twitter.com/6PeGXNoKgG
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 7, 2024
Apple is scrambling to apologize. “We missed the mark…and we’re sorry,” said marketing VP Tor Myhren. Even actor Hugh Grant took a swipe, calling the ad “the destruction of the human experience”. Ouch.
This is a major misstep for Apple, known for its slick ads. They’ve pulled the ad from TV but it remains online, a constant reminder of the rare moment their marketing machine went off the rails.
