Apple apologizes for controversial iPad Pro ad

Apple apologizes for controversial iPad Pro ad

Apple has apologized and admitted it “missed the mark” with its latest iPad Pro ad.
The ad, which was posted on social media on Tuesday by Apple CEO Tim Cook, drew backlash from netizens who felt that it celebrated technology’s destruction of human creativity and artistry.

In a statement to AdAge, Apple’s vice president of marketing communications, Tor Myhren, apologized.

“Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s very important to us to design products that empower creatives around the world. Our goal is to always celebrate the many ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad,” said Myhren. “We missed the mark with this video, and we apologize.”

Apple confirmed the statement it provided to AdAge but declined to comment further.

The ad shows symbols of human creativity, such as musical instruments, paint cans, 80s arcade video games and a statue of a human head crushed by a giant hydraulic machine. As a hydraulic press lift metal slab, Apple’s new iPad Pro is revealed.

“Meet the new iPad Pro: the thinnest product we’ve ever created, the most advanced display we’ve ever produced, with the incredible power of the M4 chip. Imagine all the things that would go into creating it,” Cook wrote in a post on X that accompanied the video.

The Internet’s reaction to the ad was immediate: “The symbolism of haphazardly destroying a beautiful creative tool is an interesting choice,” wrote one social media user. “This ad effectively convinced me that I need less technology in my life,” wrote another.

Other users said the ad lacked taste amid growing concerns that AI could replace workers – even those in creative fields. Actor Hugh Grant wrote on social media that Apple’s ad represented “the destruction of the human experience.”

Apple no longer plans to run ads on TV, according to AdAge.

Mea culpa is rare for Apple, although the ad has not been deleted from X Cook’s account.