Apple has issued a rare apology, admitting that a new commercial showing beloved cultural symbols like a guitar and piano slowly being squeezed into the shape of an iPad Pro “missed the mark.”
This big sin comes after Apple was vilified for days on social media for a 60-second ad titled “Crash!” Various tools of human creativity, including paint, a turntable, and even a carved bust, were smashed to the tune of Sonny & Cher’s “All I Ever Need Is You.”
“Creativity is in Apple’s DNA, and designing products that empower creative people around the world is extremely important to us,” said Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of marketing communications. says. said in a statement to AdAge. on Thursday.
“Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad ways users can express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad,” Myhren added. “This video misses the mark and I apologize.”
Apple said it would no longer run the 60-second ad on TV after the backlash, but it was still available to view on its official YouTube page as of Friday morning.
Apple stock traded flat on Friday.
Critics were furious about the commercial, claiming it was just the latest sign that Apple and other Big Tech companies are replacing traditional arts and entertainment with high-tech gadgets.
The commercial emerged as part of Apple’s overhaul of its iPad lineup, which has struggled with poor sales in recent years.
One of the most prominent critics, actor Hugh Grant, called the video “a subversion of the human experience.” Courtesy of Silicon Valley. ”
Sherry Palmer, a prominent tech industry expert, said seeing the ad made her “sick to my stomach.” Then I became incredibly angry. Then I was just sad. ”
“To me, this is a scary declaration of how Apple thinks about the creative community,” Palmer said.
Other users said the commercial was an insult to the legacy of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, with one user quipping: “Jobs would never have approved this ad.”
“Smashing pianos, trumpets, and guitars evokes the same primal, horrific blasphemy as watching a book burn.” Songwriter Crispin Hunt said:. “This is shockingly tone-deaf from Apple, which has traditionally enabled and championed creativity. But when you turn off Autotune, you realize just how out of tune this is.”
“Who needs human life and something that makes it worth living? Jump into this digital simulation and give us your soul. Thank you, Apple.” Added ‘Men in Black’ screenwriter Ed Solomon.
Most of the anger was directed at Apple CEO Tim Cook’s post about X, which included a commercial. Cook’s post is still live and has been viewed more than 57 million times.
“Introducing the new iPad Pro, the thinnest display we’ve ever created and the most advanced display with the incredible power of the M4 chip,” Cook wrote. “Imagine all the things it could be used to create.”
The new iPad Pro costs $200 more than the previous version and has an M4 computer chip designed to support artificial intelligence features.
The scandal is yet another headache for Apple, which has recently drawn the ire of regulators on a number of fronts over antitrust concerns.
Earlier this year, the Department of Justice filed a landmark antitrust case alleging that Apple took illegal steps to secure market dominance for the iPhone.
