CNN
—
Apple has apologized and admitted that its latest iPad Pro ad “missed the mark.”
Ads posted on social media The ad, released by Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday, received backlash from internet users who felt it glorified the destruction of human creativity and art by technology.
Tor Myhren, Apple's vice president of marketing communications, apologized in a statement to AdAge.
“Creativity is in Apple's DNA, and designing products that empower creators around the world is very important to us. Our goal is to help our users express themselves, It’s always about celebrating the myriad ways to bring ideas to life through iPad,” said Myhren. “This video misses the mark and I apologize.”
Apple confirmed the statement provided to AdAge but declined to comment further.
The ad depicts symbols of human creativity, including musical instruments, paint cans, an 80s arcade video game, and a bust of a human head crushed by a giant hydraulic press. A metal slab in a hydraulic press lifts to reveal Apple's new iPad Pro.
“Introducing the new iPad Pro, the thinnest product we’ve ever created and our most advanced display with the incredible power of the M4 chip. “Imagine all the things used for this,” Cook wrote in a post to X accompanying the video.
Internet backlash against the ad was immediate. “The symbolism of indiscriminately destroying a beautiful creative tool is an interesting choice,” one social media user wrote. “This ad has convinced me that I don't need much technology in my life,” another wrote.
Other users said the ad was in bad taste amid growing concerns that AI will replace workers, even those in creative fields.actor hugh grant I have written People on social media criticized Apple's ad, saying it represented a “subversion of the human experience.”
According to AdAge, Apple has no plans to run this ad on TV in the future.
The ad was not removed from Cook's X account, but it was a rare crime for Apple.