Apple’s latest ad faced swift backlash on social media. In a bid to promote its new ultra-thin iPads, the tech giant debuted a spot featuring an industrial press crushing creative products on Tuesday, May 7. The ad suggests that the tasks performed by these objects can now be achieved by the new iPad.
While Apple CEO Tim Cook touted the ad’s creativity, it did not sit well with many on social media. Critics took to X, formerly Twitter, criticizing the commercial for being “destructive” and “out of touch.”
Reactions varied. Some users called for the ad to be pulled and re-edited. Others like Adam Singer, vice president of marketing at AdQuick, called it a “perfect metaphor for today’s creative dark age.”
Eric Newcomer criticized Apple for running a commercial that seemingly devalues its own products.
“Can’t believe Apple ran such an out of touch commercial that treats devices Steve Jobs would have cherished as trash,” Newcomer said.
The criticism was bipartisan.
“Are you trying to run your company into the ground? This makes me never want to buy iProducts ever ever ever [sic] again,” Conservative columnist Quin Hillyer wrote in a critique of Apple.
“‘Crushing Obsolete Creativity.’ Is that really the message you want to pass on? Seriously?” a user displaying “#FreePalestine” next to their X logo wrote.
Even comparisons to Apple’s iconic 1984 ad emerged, with one user noting a stark contrast between the two eras: from exploding conformity to crushing vibrancy.
However, not everyone was critical. Some defended Apple, dismissing the outrage as overblown.
“Man, oh man! People will seriously complain about any little thing nowadays!! It was just a commercial,” wrote one user. “Seriously, get off your computer, or put down your phone (which is probably an iPhone…) and get outside, and take a breath… #ItsNotThatBad.”
The ad controversy comes as questions arise about the company’s direction, especially with reports of underperforming products like the Apple Vision Pro and lagging sales in the China market.
