Marketing in the News

I am most interested in this article because of the online backlash that Apple's new "Crush!" ad has received. The ad was not received well by many consumers and reminds many creatives of the ongoing struggles with the use of generative AI in creative workspaces, which as a professional artist and design student, is a subject that I constantly checking the news for. 

The Forbes article written by Dani Di Placido talks about the current backlash that Apple has received after CEO Tim Cook showcased the "Crush!" ad on Twitter, with many calling the ad disheartening, tone-deaf, and an all too real look into people's perspective on technology and human creativity. The article also references the ongoing backlash against generative AI that has been used across a variety of artistic media and to spread misinformation. 

As a tech giant, Apple has always branded itself to be different from other competitors by constantly seeking out new ways to break the mold through innovation. They try to showcase this in the "Crush!" ad through the metaphorical crushing of a variety of artistic tools into their latest iPad Pro. It was meant to present the new iPad Pro as an all in one creative tool for creatives to use. However, Apple did not take in the fact that they were also showing off their new M4 chip, which is designed to be a strong AI system. 

Of course, Apple received almost immediate backlash for the tone deaf ad as many creatives saw it more as a metaphor for the death of the arts due to the overreaching of technology. After sometime, Apple came out with an apology on Ad Age, explaining that they had missed the mark on this specific ad. Due to this mishap, Samsung, one of Apple's main competitors, has taken advantage of Apple's blunder and created an ad showcasing how their new tablet can be used to express human creativity. 

Ironically, Apple's ad was meant to pander to the more creative consumers of Apple products, but many artists and creatives came out saying they viewed the ad as disrespectful to creative tools, those who made them, and those who still use them. As a possible epitome of this a creative based buyer persona, I find this ad to be distasteful. It does not speak to me as a creative in any positive way, or even in anyway that would make me want to buy or positively talk about the new iPad Pro. I am not inspired when I watch the "Crush!" ad, in fact I feel uncomfortable and a little existential after watching dozens of artistic tools being crushed into a minimalistic screen. The "Crush!" ad is not remarkable in the right way. It does not make me think positively about the new iPad Pro and fails as a marketing solution in doing so.

Analyzing this article has taught me a lot about what makes or breaks a marketing campaign/solution. Being in tune with how your customer base feels about is essential to having a profitable, competitive, and successful ad campaign. 

Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2024/05/09/the-backlash-against-apples-new-ipad-pro-ad-explained/

Ad Age Apology: https://adage.com/article/digital-marketing-ad-tech-news/apple-apologizes-ipad-pro-crushed-ad-it-missed-mark/2559321