Apple gets crushing backlash to its 'gross' iPad ad from celebrities and artists
From its pop-art iPod commercials to its celebrity-led Mac vs. PC campaign, Apple hasn't had many marketing missteps to its name.
But a controversial ad for the company's latest iPad model has critics railing against the tech giant for what they say is a slight against artists and the creative community — a demographic once drawn to Apple products.
The ad, titled "Crush!", shows an array of creative objects — among them musical instruments, art sculptures, typewriters, a record table and a vintage arcade machine — being slowly pulverized by a hydraulic press.
(You know, the thing that David Letterman frequently used to crush bowling balls for fun. Similar videos now dominate TikTok feeds everywhere.)
Once the press has demolished the spread, it releases, and a glimmering new iPad appears, having replaced — or made obsolete — everything that came before it. All I Ever Need Is You by Sonny and Cher rings out.
The spot went viral as critics denounced its message. Some found it particularly hard to stomach the imagery of big tech crushing creative tools as artists grapple with the threats posed by artificial intelligence.
