Apple apologized for an advertisement that showed musical instruments, art tools, and games being crushed with a hydraulic press. The ad had led to accusations of cultural insensitivity.
Apple CEO Tim Cook launched the one-minute video to promote its new tablets. This is the first time in two years that the US tech giant has redesigned the tablet range.
Apple’s creative team produced the ad, according to trade press reports. According to trade press, the ad was created by Apple’s in-house creative team.
Social media users responded to Cook’s X post with accusations that Apple was crushing “beautiful tools for creativity” and “symbols human creativity and cultural accomplishments”.
Advertising executives said the ad was a mistake for the Silicon Valley firm, which had been praised for its past marketing campaigns under the late Steve Jobs.
Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of marketing communications, said in an initial statement to Ad Age that the company “missed” the mark with the video. Apple also confirmed that the advertisement would not be aired on TV, as was originally planned by the advertising magazine.
Myhren stated that “Creativity was in Apple’s DNA and we were very keen to create products which empowered creatives around the globe.” “Our goal is always to celebrate the many ways that iPad users express themselves, and bring their creative ideas to life.”
He said, “We’re sorry that we missed the mark on this video.”
Christopher Slevin of Inkling Culture’s marketing agency, the creative director, compared an iPad advertisement unfavourably to a famous Apple ad directed by Ridley Scott for the Macintosh original computer called “1984”, which presented Apple as liberating the world from a dystopian monochrome.
Slevin said that Apple’s new iPad ad is them becoming the very thing they claimed to be out to destroy in their 1984 ad.
Hugh Grant, the actor who appeared on X, accused Apple of “the destruction to human experience courtesy Silicon Valley”.
Richard Exon of the marketing agency Joint said, “An important question to ask is whether or not the advertisement has done its job.” It’s distinctive, memorable and I know now that the new iPad is even thinner than before.
Zappi, a consumer insights platform, conducted research with consumers on an ad which suggested that the idea that hydraulic presses crushing art is divisive.
The ad was said to have underperformed benchmarks for typically desired emotions like happiness and laughter, and outperformed benchmarks for traditionally negative emotions such as shock and confusion. Older people were more likely than younger consumers to respond negatively.
Nataly Kel, chief marketing officer of Zappi said: “Is Apple’s iPad advertisement a sign of dystopian times or a genius work? How old you are will determine your answer. This controversial advert has a high shock value. The fact that people have even heard of it is a success.”