Apple Apologizes for 'Crush' iPad Pro Ad, Won't Put It on TV

[mashinhead]

This ad is incredibly Apple. It's very on-brand.

The problem is the ad is too literal (with objects breaking) instead of more obvious to the visually metaphor they were going for—having the objects squish down into a compact object, that then reveals itself to be the iPad Pro.

"Everything was big and taking up space → Now its small and thin, ready to fit in a bag."

Behind the scenes, the problem is the ad agency didn't account for literal-thinkers. A lot of creatives are more metaphorical and think in big ideas, skipping over details literal thinkers see with their 20/20 vision. The ad agency needed someone with more literal foresight to object to that detail by the time they were doing storyboards. They wanted to appeal to the meme of the Hydraulic Press Channel so they let things get crushed.

Had they made the ad, for example, movers from a moving company unload a bundle of objects, they see Godzilla, they run, then Godzilla steps on that bundle of objects, and what's left is an iPad Pro, nobody would be up in arms because theres nothing literal to object to.

I've worked for Apple's agency and made Apple ads. But thanks for telling me what an Apple ad is. What it is—that Apple ads have not been—is incredibly tone deaf as indicated by the response to it. What you are indicating is the point. Apple, would have realized this potential for the metaphor to be misconstrued. Apple would have reconcognized the cultural zeitgeist and conversation around technology when making this ad. Apple under Steve Jobs that is. And that would not have been necessarily motivated by some altruism. It would have been motivated by deeply protecting their brand. One they've worked so hard to cultivate and protect. One that they value above all. Would this idea have been pitched—yes absolutely. But the conversation that is being had now in public, would have happened in private and this ad would never have seen the light of day. And that is what is un-Apple about it.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Correct, the world is full of idiots incapable of thinking beyond the obvious and superficial.
The agency could fix it using specialized captions at the bottom of the ad explaining it for them.

The creatives are most likely the ones buying an iPad Pro. For the rest, there’s an iPad Air or a regular iPad.
Those who don’t understand the Ad don’t really deserve an iPad Pro.

The level of irony in your post is notable.

 

[iBug2]

I actually hated this ad when I saw it in keynote. It really was not an Apple ad.

 

[QCassidy352]

The “don’t be so sensitive” replies here are so weird. It’s not about being “offended,” it’s that this is a genuinely terrible ad. Bleak, dystopian, just downright depressing.

Apple need not *apologize* for it, but they’re certainly right not to air it, as it’s a terrible look for their brand.

 

[LogicalApex]

Certainly, but the iPad is a device beyond the Pro. Apple clearly cares about that market, but while it may have been the traditional customer and thus a significant percentage of the customer base, I suspect it has shrunk to the point where it is much smaller than the non-creative base. So while the pro may be aimed primarily at creatives, the broader iPad line is a much larger market and not the traditional creative one.

Of course, a lot depends on how you define creative.

It would be interesting to see what happens to the sales mix of the large screen Airs nd Pro iPads, as the Air now offers much of the functionality of the Pro for someone who wants a bigger screen but doesn't need the bells and whistles of a Pro that a creative might.

Apple moves features "down" from the Pro to the "mainstream" iPads like the Air. They consider the creative market important enough to target it first. That should tell you all you need to know about its importance to Apple. The mainstream market is the gravy, not the dish.

 

[kirk.vino]

What is this Mortal Kombat fatality? lol
Who thought it was going to be a good ad? It’s so tone deaf.

 

[sailnavy]

People are offended by everything. How ridiculous.

 

[ZipZilla]

We have become a weak, soft society where people want things banned they don't like. There was nothing wrong with the video.

 

[california_kid]

Well I'm totally disappointed with Apple!

When I first heard about it I thought Apple was crushing real pianos and stuff - you know like the guy that use to put iPhones in a blender. CGI? meh....

 

[Surf Monkey]

I didn’t like the ad either. But frankly, I haven’t been a fan of their ads of late.

I’m thinking of the ”Don’t let me goooooooooooooooooooooooo!” ads during March Madness, that they played 7,834,912 times.

They put the guy who invented the E-Trade baby in charge of their marketing and fired Chiat-Day. This kind of outcome is the result of that.

 

[egraphixstudios]

Whoever complained are a bunch of snowflakes..

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

The “don’t be so sensitive” replies here are so weird. It’s not about being “offended,” it’s that this is a genuinely terrible ad. Bleak, dystopian, just downright depressing.

Apple need not *apologize* for it, but they’re certainly right not to air it, as it’s a terrible look for their brand.

Did you not see Apple's 1984 Big Brother ad? No one hated that or was offended.

 

[Surf Monkey]

The OP stated Apple's traditional market is creatives, which is a broad statement and not the major market Apple targets today. The Pro may be targetd to creatives, but it is a small part of Apple's customer base.

It is the major market Apple targets. A person would have to be blind and deaf not to notice that.

 

[jlc1978]

Are those the buyers spending over $2K on 13" iPad Pros?

I wonder what percentage of Pro sales will be for models over 2k. Would be interesting to know.

Outside of a few FOMO and particularly Apple loving buyers. I don't expect many people are just casually spending that kind of money on iPads.

I don't either, and suspect it may depend on the use case. If you want a large screen and cellular connectivity, the Pro was the only choice; and with the Air it will be a viable option to a Pro for many previous Pro buyers. If I didn't have an M2 12" Pro I'd seriously look at the Air since it has the big screen at a lower price point.

But maybe I'm wrong and "average users" are spending like this and the concept of a value proposition no longer matters 🤷🏾‍♂️

It depends on the use case and wallet. For me, the Pro was worth the cost because it gave me:

1. A nice large external monitor while traveling so I have 2 screens
2. With the keyboard it was easier to carry when I didn't need my MBP's capabilities
3. The screen was about A4 size so reading things was easier.

 

[vegetassj4]

With the new iPad, we are not only going to push the limts, we are going to crush them.

Apple users complain about the features they think are more important. But...

Tim Apple want pants too.....

 

[applesith]

Funny, because it seems like it’s you and others railing against the criticism are the ones who are outraged. Those of us of dislike the ad have been calm and articulate about why we dislike it without falling into shallow, boilerplate “anti-woke” style rhetoric

You're here commenting too, so get off your high horse. This is a message board about Apple stuff where we all comment on it. I'm not shouting it from the rooftops like the person referenced in the article.

I never said anything about woke, and you should not make accusations.

 

[lenningj]

What part of the alphabet did this offend?

 

[fisico511]

I thought it was pretty cool, but I'm not everybody. On that note, it's absolutely unbelievable that Apple didn't see this backlash coming prior to making the video. I'd bet a shiny new iPad that some producer was quaking in their seat during the event.

 

[robinp]

I wasn’t offended by it, but it did seem like a really poor creative choice.

I cringed when watching it because it was immediately obvious to me that it was communicating the wrong things and that it would upset people. I felt uncomfortable watching it.

None of these things make me overly sensitive. They mean I am creatively aware in a way that it seems Apple’s ad team weren’t this time.

It was simply a poor advert. It didn’t communicate what they wanted.

 

[GDF]

So odd. I just don’t get some of these people that just critique everything. What a sad life they must have. Feel sorry for them.

 

[jlc1978]

Apple moves features "down" from the Pro to the "mainstream" iPads like the Air. They consider the creative market important enough to target it first. That should tell you all you need to know about its importance to Apple. The mainstream market is the gravy, not the dish.

Never said it wasn't important, just that it's not where the money is compare to the mainstream. If it were, as it once was, Apple would be doing a lot more to the top end Mac line to appeal to creatives. They do a lot, but aren't the cutting edge they once were.

To use your food analogy, creatives may be the appetizer, but the real deal is the main course.

 

[spaxxedout]

Instead of apologizing, they could just troll and remake the ad of the press crushing a single Vision Pro and it’s probably win a Palm d’or or something.

 

[ArrayDecay]

Colossally stupid ad. However, someone posted it running backwards and it works pretty good. Apple should have gone that route.

 

[Surf Monkey]

You're here commenting too,

“Commenting” isn’t the issue.

so get off your high horse.

I’m not on one.

This is a message board about Apple stuff where we all comment on it. I'm not shouting it from the rooftops like the person referenced in the article.

No one ever claimed any such thing.

 

[SanderEvers]

I honestly liked the ad. It shows what the iPad can do really well.