Many viewers were disturbed by the ad’s imagery of a crusher flattening creative objects.
Apple apologized Thursday for a new iPad Pro commercial that was met with fierce criticism from creatives for depicting an array of creative tools and objects—from a piano, to a camera, to cans of paint—being destroyed by an industrial crusher.
The tech giant no longer plans to run the commercial on TV.
The latest: Watch Samsung’s response to the Apple ad
Also read: 9 ads that sparked an outcry before Apple’s ‘Crush’
The spot, created in-house and unveiled Tuesday, was intended as a metaphor to suggest how much creative potential is packed inside the latest edition of its signature tablet, and to promote how thin the tablet is. (At 5.1 millimeters, it’s Apple’s thinnest product ever.)
But many viewers had a more chilling interpretation, seeing the spot as a grim representation of technology crushing the history of human creativity—something the creative industry is already existentially worried about with the rise of AI.
In an exclusive statement obtained by Ad Age, Apple apologized for the “Crush” spot and said it didn’t mean to cause offense among its creative audience.
“Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world,” said Tor Myhren, the company’s VP of marketing communications. “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.”
The spot rolled out on Apple’s YouTube and CEO Tim Cook’s X account on Tuesday, but had not received any paid media. Plans for a TV run have now been scrapped.
The “Crush” spot was a rare misstep for Apple, whose campaigns are typically celebrated by the creative community. Its “1984” Super Bowl spot, “Think Different” campaign and “Get a Mac” commercials are considered all-time advertising classics. Its recent creative triumphs have included an Emmy-winning spot about accessibility, a series of well-crafted holiday commercials and the global “Shot on iPhone” product demonstration series.
