Apple ‘Crush’ ad gets crushed by critics for destroying creativity

It’s a rare miss for Apple, an Icarus moment for a brand known for its soaring advertising, from iconic ads like the “1984” Macintosh commercial to “Fuzzy Feelings” and “Huracán Ramírez vs. La Piñata Enchilada”—two of the most celebrated ads of 2023. “Crush,” the new iPad Pro spot, has drawn vocal backlash since its Tuesday release, with critics saying the metaphor of the ad is at odds with Apple’s message of creativity. Created in-house and directed by Iconoclast’s Vania & Muggia, the spot introduces Apple’s thinnest product ever by placing a room full of analog creative objects in an industrial crusher. A metronome, guitar, piano, sculpture bust, paint cans and more get slowly flattened as a metaphor for all the tools and capabilities inside Apple’s newest product. But in an age of AI, where machines threaten to flatten human creativity, the spot has drawn not just disdain but disgust—with many calling it exactly the wrong message at exactly the wrong time. (Others, including agency Lafayette American, pointed out that the ad works better in reverse.) Apple did not respond to a request for comment. Making matters worse, it appears “Crush” isn't just a poorly considered metaphor, it’s also not a new one. The spot is very similar to a 2008 U.K. ad (below) for an LG phone, which is still on YouTube 16 years later. “Crush,” which is airing on TV, social media, digital and YouTube, was quickly interpreted as having a sinister meaning by viewers, who responded under Tim Cook’s X post with criticisms that it represented a desire to replace analog art and human connection with screens. Everything beautiful, charming, and analog will be destroyed by a flat black screen You must never see a sculpted bust Never hear music from an actual instrument Never feel the texture of real things A silicon slab (and Tim Cook) will permanently stand between u and the world This is the most ghoulish, tone-deaf ad I've ever seen in my life. Fire all of your marketers. This is utterly catastrophic for your brand. Everybody hated That Apple Ad but the Japanese REALLY hated it. I’ve never seen so many upset Japanese ppl commenting on a single thread: pic.twitter.com/OyAOl37ilr People are also pointing out the 2008 LG spot, created by BBH London. This is hilarious. An average ad I’d totally forgotten about that @Wallerwaller and I made at @BBHLondon in 2008 is now the new Apple iPad ad. https://t.co/u8qHl2G45q Apple is done and is in declining stage with this type of advertisement, it is creepy and doesn’t embrace the creative and talented people, the idea of the ad is not even original, you can see it in the ad of LG smartphone KC910 Renoir 15 years 🫡 https://t.co/w23d41GwaZ Celebrities including Hugh Grant, Justine Bateman and “Handmaid’s Tale” director Reed Morano, among others, have also chimed in (below). The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley. https://t.co/273XB3CfnF Truly, what is wrong with you? https://t.co/UBGszYv4CH Hey @tim_cook READ THE ROOM, BRO. CUZ THIS SHIT IS ACTUALLY PSYCHOTIC https://t.co/emRqOcXDoP There have been calls to pull the spot. But Apple does not typically bow to external pressure, and as of this writing, Cook’s X post and the YouTube video are still live. The company has also not issued any statement on the controversy. More Creativity coverage from Ad Age: Sign up for our daily Creativity newsletter to see the best stories of the day.

Apple ‘Crush’ ad gets crushed by critics for destroying creativity

Featured Stories