Apple apologized Thursday after an ad for its latest iPad Pro model drew criticism by showing an animation of musical instruments and other symbols of creativity being crushed, the magazine reported Ad Age.
“Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad ways people express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video and we’re sorry,” the iPad maker said. ‘iPhone, cited by Ad Age.
An Apple spokesperson declined to comment but referred questions to the Ad Age report.
The ad titled “Crush” has been viewed more than a million times on Apple’s YouTube channel and was shared by CEO Tim Cook on social media platform creative objects such as a camera, guitar, piano and paint being destroyed by an industrial crusher.
The crusher then reveals the recently revealed iPad, symbolizing the scale of the new, thinner model.
Internet users criticized this ad, deeming it insensitive and at odds with the historical positioning of the brand, which aims to be non-conformist, respectful of human beings and an antidote to a dystopian and colorless world.
In a post on X, actor Hugh Grant said the ad showed Silicon Valley’s destruction of the human experience.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant unveiled a tablet with a new chip for artificial intelligence on Tuesday, as it races to catch up with Big Tech rivals in the race to dominate this emerging technology.
Apple said the iPad Pro, which can be ordered as of Thursday, has an improved display and is “the thinnest Apple product ever.” (Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
