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Apple made an unusual move on Thursday by issuing an apology for a short advertising video promoting its new iPad Pro tablet. The ad received widespread criticism on social media.
"Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad," stated Tor Myhren, Apple's vice president of marketing communications, in an interview with Ad Age, an advertising trade publication. "We missed the mark with this video, and we're sorry."
The ad, which Apple CEO Tim Cook posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday and also shared on YouTube, depicted various creative tools, such as a guitar, piano, and metronome, being crushed by a hydraulic press, similar to recent viral TikTok videos, until they were compressed into the company's new tablet.
In response to the negative feedback, Apple has decided not to air the ad on TV, as reported by Ad Age.
The ad sparked derision and extensive media coverage, with viewers expressing that it made Apple appear out of touch. Many found the destruction of the creative tools offensive.
Critics of Apple suggested that the negative reaction to the ad indicated a dwindling goodwill among customers, rather than spreading Apple’s marketing message for free. Apple, a major advertiser, has historically had a close relationship with TBWA\Media Arts Lab, its longtime ad agency, although it also develops some advertising internally.
This isn't the first time an Apple iPad ad has irritated customers in recent years. In 2018, an iPad Pro spot featuring a child asking, "What's a computer?" also drew criticism.
