Apple issued a rare apology on Thursday for its iPad Pro “Crush” commercial after it faced widespread backlash from users who said it did not reflect the tech giant’s commitment to creativity.
“Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world,” Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of marketing communications, told AdAge.
The minute-long commercial, which was produced in-house and released on Tuesday, depicts a variety of items and tools, such as a piano, buckets of paint, a guitar, and even a sculpture, all being destroyed by an industrial crusher.
The misguided metaphor did not resonate well with creators, who worry that advancements like AI may chip away at real-world use cases. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook’s X post, “Just imagine all the things it’ll be used to create,” didn’t help.
“Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad,” Apple’s Myhren said. “We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry.”
The commercial, which was posted to Apple’s YouTube account and Cook’s X account, will not be promoted on TV.