Samsung jabs Apple with snarky response to ‘Crush’ ad

Everyone else got their jabs in. Now it’s Samsung’s turn to have a shot at Apple’s controversial “Crush” commercial for the iPad Pro. Samsung, which has made punking Apple a core strategy at times through the years, released a 43-second spot on Wednesday that appears to be a sequel of sorts to the Apple film that caused an uproar in the creative community last week. Created by BBH USA, the ad shows a woman walking into what looks like the scene of the Apple spot, with destroyed objects everywhere next to a paint-splattered hydraulic press. Picking up a damaged guitar, she sits down and starts to play. See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Creativity Award winners here “Creativity cannot be crushed,” says the onscreen line at the end—a clear jab at the Apple ad. The spot, directed by Zen Pace, will run on social media. “More than a response, this is a celebration of all creative souls,” said Estefanio Holtz, executive creative director at BBH USA. “True artists, makers and creators know that creativity always finds a way.” “Championing creativity is at the core of our brand, from building innovative consumer experiences that open up new possibilities to redefining how we engage the creative community with our TeamGalaxy Creator Collective,” said Olga Suvorova, VP of mobile experience marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “This belief is not just core to us. Creativity also drives our diverse and passionate communities, who inspire us to develop both products and experiences that empower people to bring their ideas to life.” Apple had intended “Crush” to be a metaphor for the creative potential packed inside the new iPad Pro, which is also Apple’s thinnest product ever (thus the flattening metaphor). But with the fears around the encroachment of AI, many saw a more disturbing metaphor at play—Big Tech crushing the history of human creativity. Apple apologized in an exclusive statement to Ad Age two days after the spot’s release. Samsung has developed many campaigns over the years directly attacking Apple. Among its well-known anti-Apple spots are this one from 2011, mocking Apple fanboys for waiting in line for new iPhones, and this 2017 spot, in which an Apple user sports a “notch” haircut similar to the notch at the top of the iPhone screen. See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Creativity Award winners here

Samsung jabs Apple with snarky response to ‘Crush’ ad

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