In a rare and unprecedented move, Apple has issued an apology for its new iPad Air Pro commercial. Cupertino won’t air the advertisement on television either, as previously intended.
Titled “Crush!”, the ad features an industrial press “crushing” various objects, including a TV, musical instruments, books, and more, set to Sonny and Cher’s “All I Ever Need Is You.”
Although the ad, shared by CEO Tim Cook, aims to showcase the iPad Pro’s versatility in consuming and creating content, it has sparked criticism from Hollywood and other creative sectors. Rather than celebrating technological innovation, the commercial has been interpreted as symbolising the tech industry’s destruction of traditional cultural mediums.
“Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad,” Apple’s marketing VP, Tor Myhren, said in response to the backlash, adding that, “We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry.”
The juxtaposition of the iPad Pro’s sleek design and powerful M4 silicon with the destruction of beloved objects like record players, pianos, and typewriters has raised concerns about technology’s threat to traditional forms of expression. English actor Hugh Grant had called it “the destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley.”
While Apple sought to highlight the iPad Pro’s creative potential, the ad inadvertently underscores concerns about technology’s impact on industries that rely on physical media. The controversy serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between innovation and preserving cultural heritage in the digital age.
