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Why Apple Apologized for the “Crush!” iPad Pro Ad—and Why It Won’t Air on TV

Apple said its “Crush!” iPad Pro ad missed the mark after critics saw its hydraulic-press imagery as a symbol of technology diminishing creativity. It cancelled the TV campaign, but the video remained online in contemporary reports.
Opened Runtime3 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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Apple apologized after its “Crush!” ad for the 2024 iPad Pro drew criticism for showing a hydraulic press destroying objects associated with creativity. The company cancelled plans to air the spot on television. Contemporary reports said the video remained online, so the TV decision did not mean Apple had removed it everywhere.

What the “Crush!” ad showed

Released in May 2024 alongside new iPad models, the ad showed a hydraulic press crushing objects including a piano, record player, paint, books, cameras and arcade-game items. When the press lifted, an iPad Pro was revealed. The intended product message was that many creative activities could be brought together in one device.

The featured model was the 2024 M4-generation iPad Pro. At launch, the Associated Press described it as thinner than its predecessor and powered by Apple’s M4 processor, with dual OLED panels. These are launch-period details, not a description of the current iPad lineup. Associated Press coverage

Why viewers and creative professionals objected

Many critics read the press as more than a visual shorthand for putting creative tools into a tablet. They saw familiar instruments and materials being destroyed, and interpreted the scene as suggesting that technology could replace or diminish human creativity. That was audience interpretation, not Apple’s stated intent.

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The Associated Press reported that the reaction also landed amid broader concerns about technological replacement, including generative AI. That context helps explain the sensitivity around the imagery; it does not establish that the ad was about AI.

Marketing professor Americus Reed II of the Wharton School told the AP, “I had a really disturbing reaction to the ad.” Reed said he understood the concept but felt its presentation suggested technology crushing the joy associated with familiar creative objects. Vann Graves, executive director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brandcenter, said, “My initial thought was that Apple has become exactly what it never wanted to be.” Actor Hugh Grant called it “The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley.” These were attributed reactions to the spot.

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What Apple said and what it changed

Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of marketing communications, gave this statement to Ad Age, as reported by the AP and 9to5Mac:

“Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world. Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry.”

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Apple’s apology acknowledged the gap between its intended celebration of expression through iPad and how the video was received. Reporting at the time established that the company would not run the spot on TV; it did not establish a broader change to Apple’s campaign policy or a specific production error. 9to5Mac’s report

Was the ad removed from the internet?

No. The television campaign was cancelled, but contemporary reports from 9to5Mac, MacRumors and the Associated Press said the video remained online, including on Apple’s YouTube channel. In other words, Apple stopped its planned TV airing rather than removing the spot completely. MacRumors’ report

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The commercial backdrop at the time

The ad accompanied a major iPad launch at a time when Apple’s tablet business faced pressure. The Associated Press reported that iPad sales fell 17% year over year in January–March 2024 and that iPad accounted for 6% of Apple’s sales at the time. Those are historical figures reported in 2024, not current sales results. Associated Press coverage

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