Apple apologizes for iPad 'Crush' ad that 'missed the mark'

Overall reaction to the ‘Crush’ ad

• Many commenters found the ad disturbing or “soul‑crushing”: slow‑motion destruction of instruments, art supplies, toys and cultural objects felt gratuitous, wasteful, and emotionally painful to watch.
• Others thought it was fine or even “great”: a clever visual metaphor that all those tools are “compressed” into a thin iPad, or just a slick variant of viral hydraulic‑press videos.
• Several said they only learned a new iPad existed because of the controversy, suggesting the ad “worked” in terms of awareness.

Symbolism, timing, and AI context

• Critics argue the imagery accidentally nails a widespread fear: tech and AI will crush human creativity and culture into a black box controlled by big companies.
• In that reading, the ad looks like Apple celebrating the destruction of analog, tactile, multi‑generational crafts in favor of a disposable, locked‑down slab.
• Supporters counter that people are over‑interpreting a simple compression metaphor and projecting broader anxieties onto one spot.

Impact on artists and Apple’s core audience

• Musicians, visual artists, and other creatives in the thread describe strong emotional attachment to their tools; watching pianos, trumpets, guitars, cameras and paint obliterated felt like an attack on their identity and discipline.
• Many note Apple has long marketed itself as the ally of creatives; this feels off‑brand and more like “we replace you” than “we empower you.”
• Others dismiss this as oversensitivity or “performative outrage,” arguing destruction-as-visual-trope is common in movies, music videos, and ads.

Cultural and global angle (Japan)

• Multiple comments highlight Japanese backlash: in Shinto‑inflected culture, tools can be seen as having spirit; wanton destruction of instruments and work tools is viewed as arrogant and disrespectful.
• Concepts like tsukumogami and mottainai (wastefulness as moral wrong) are cited; some speculate this market‑specific reaction helped trigger the public apology.

Creative direction, plagiarism, and alternatives

• Several note the concept closely resembles an older LG phone ad and a Nintendo spot, making it feel unoriginal on top of tone‑deaf.
• Many say simply reversing the ad (iPad expands and unleashes the tools) or “magically shrinking” them without violent crushing would have conveyed the same message with a positive, on‑brand tone.

Marketing strategy and apology

• Some believe the apology is pure PR/“earned media” theater, especially since the ad remained online.
• Others argue it’s rational marketing: when an ad alienates a primary audience, you walk it back.
• There’s disagreement on “never apologize” vs. “this shows Apple is out of touch”; several see it as another data point in Apple’s post‑Jobs drift toward a risk‑averse, vaguely anti‑human megacorp.