Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/05/10/apple-apologizes-for-upsetting-crush-ad.html
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Sure seems that if they didn’t choose a slow agonizing ‘tempo’, zooming in on several sub-vignettes of slow item torture, (including, of course a sculpted human head) it would’ve transmitted its rather banal message without backlash. Just: ‘behold! a bunch of symbols of creativity’, then all at once ‘smash’ with no juice oozing (another lugubrious choice), and then a puff of steam and ‘behold!’ a shiny new iPad. No one would’ve batted an eye. Too much loving cruelty (sez me).
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There does seem to be something about the tone of the work that goes beyond the nerds-with-toys enthusiasm of the hydraulic press channel and more into “hey, c’mon, only animal crush videos are illegal in the US” territory.
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Why on earth would one of the wealthiest companies in the world not hire a proper ad agency? I’m guessing some C-level “genius” thought they could do better than those overpaid creative types. Tellingly, the ad itself is the embodiment of that kind of thinking.
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The ad’s existence is a wonderful illustration of how much everyone in the decision-making process that produced it is out of touch with most people’s reality.
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“Think Different”
“Oh god no, not like that”
This ad was very off-brand for Apple, especially when they are known for ads like this:
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Yeah, the intent might have been “look at how all these creative tools are compressed into this device” but the video really took a sadistic delight in lingering on beautiful things being unambiguously destroyed. Every time I watch the video it still disturbs me. I figured they wanted to upset people at least a little to grab attention, but the message was absolutely ruined. I don’t know how they got it that wrong.
I just realized I haven’t seen an Apple ad since John Hodgman was in one. The only reason I’m aware of this one is because they screwed it up so badly. Which makes me wonder how much “there’s no such thing as bad press” came into play in the decision making for the ad…
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Isn’t it good to know the new iPad Pro includes all the capabilities of a broken lamp, a shattered camera, a smashed piano, spilled paint, and a silenced record?
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Last I’d heard they were still working under contract with a dedicated division of TBWA\Chiat\Day, the same folks who did the famous “1984” ad and many memorable campaigns since. It’s unclear to me from the coverage if this is what they meant by “in-house” or if they went it alone for some reason.
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Late stage capitalism.
Bonus points if “AI” had anything to do with this poorly thought out ad.
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“Look at all the stuff we destroyed to give you this iPad!”
“It wasn’t worth it.”
I still can’t wrestle it into making sense in my head, even in that context. Late stage capitalism explains for me what happened to Apple in general, though: how they went from making tools for creatives into a weird luxury brand whose ads have an implied message to their former market of, “we will destroy you.”
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The ad reminded me of how upset I was when I accidentally stepped on my trumpet when I was a kid. (We got it fixed.)
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I think the most revealing thing is that NONE of the decision makers at Apple that previewed the video could see how pathetically tone deaf this us and that there would be a strong reaction against it. “Crush the doll head! Sells ipads!”
The original.
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