Apple Apologizes for 'Insensitive' iPad Pro Ad Crushing Creative Tools

Apple has issued an apology and pulled a controversial new iPad Pro commercial that depicted an array of creative tools, such as cameras, lenses, pianos, and paint, being crushed by an industrial compactor. Apple says it remains committed to empowering rather than diminishing creativity with its products.

The ad, titled "Crush," was intended as a metaphor to suggest the creative potential packed into Apple's new thin and powerful iPad Pro model. However, it struck a nerve with many viewers, who found the visuals of beloved artistic instruments being destroyed to be insensitive and dystopian.

"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, Apple's VP of marketing communications, in a statement to AdAge. "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 60-second spot showed musical instruments like guitars and pianos, art supplies like paint cans, an old arcade game, and a sculpted bust being flattened by a giant hydraulic press. As the press lifted, it revealed the sleek new iPad Pro, implying it consolidates all those creative tools into one device.

However, many viewers, including celebrities like actor Hugh Grant, saw it as "the destruction of the human experience courtesy of Silicon Valley." Others criticized the ad as tone-deaf amid fears that AI could replace human creativity and jobs.

The backlash was particularly fierce in Japan, where the ad was seen disrespecting the nation's deep reverence for craftsmanship and creative tools. "It is a heartbreaking, uncomfortable, and egotistical advertisement," one Japanese viewer commented.

While Apple CEO Tim Cook had shared the "Crush" video on his social media, the company now says it no longer plans to run the ad on TV following the uproar. It's a rare misstep for Apple's marketing, which is often lauded in the creative industry for iconic, human-centric campaigns like "1984" and "Think Different."