In a rather unusual move, the Cupertino-based tech giant issued an apology for a new ad released for the recently launched iPad Pro. The ad showed all kinds of creative tools — a piano, a record player, books, a vintage video game, and even cans of paint — getting brutally crushed in a hydraulic press. There was quite a furore over the ad as it was deemed ‘insensitive’. Now, Apple has issued an apology over the ad.
“Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad,” Apple marketing VP Tor Myhren told Ad Age. “We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry.”
The ad wasn’t appreciated by many as it depicted technology crushing the soul of creative tools. Also, the timing wasn’t appreciated at a time when there is fear about technology, especially AI, killing many jobs.
Hollywood actor Hugh Grant commented on the ad Apple CEO Tim Cook posted the ad on his X account and got a reply from Grant who said, “The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley.”
The message Apple seems to be sending with the ad. Ed Solomon, screenwriter for Men in Black posted “Who needs human life and everything that makes it worth living? Dive into this digital simulacrum and give us your soul. Sincerely, Apple.”
Reed Morano, Emmy-winning director of Handmaid’s Tale tagged Cook in a post and said, “READ THE ROOM, BRO. CUZ THIS SHIT IS ACTUALLY PSYCHOTIC [sic]”.
Apple has said that the ad will not run on TV. However, the ad still remains on YouTube and it’s not clear if Apple will remove it from the platform or not.
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