- Apple is facing backlash for an iPad ad showing analog art tools getting crushed.
- It’s not even an original idea — LG used the same concept 15 years ago.
- It didn’t make waves at the time, perhaps when tech felt like less of a threat.
Apple’s been widely panned for an ad that shows time-tested artistic tools — paint, a piano, camera lenses — getting crushed in a hydraulic press.
Cribbing a viral trend, the commercial was supposed to tout the creative promise of Apple’s new iPad Pro.
But many viewers were just plain pissed. On X, for instance, Apple chief Tim Cook’s post sharing the ad has been flooded with criticism.
One commenter said the ad ironically served as a representation of how tech giants are squashing human creativity with AI. At the same time, Y Combinator cofounder Paul Graham suggested Steve Jobs never would have okayed the ad on his watch.
But it turns out, the ad wasn’t even an original idea.
Fifteen years ago, Korean electronics company LG used almost exactly the same concept in a UK spot for its Renoir camera phone.
In that ad, musical instruments, computer monitors, studio lights, and paints are all crushed in a press — revealing the sleekly intact Renoir in conclusion.
Of course, there’s no evidence Apple — known for its unique marketing prowess — copied LG’s creative. It’s more likely that the concept of crushing a bunch of different devices down into one product is a bit basic.
It’s also safe to say that back in 2008 — when technology felt more like a galvanizing opportunity than a looming threat — the ad didn’t ignite nearly the same firestorm.
Some YouTube commenters of yesteryear even seemed to really to like it.
“Love this advert for some relly wierd reason,” one viewer wrote in 2008.
Another added at the time: “Anyone who has this phone, is really that good or just an excellent ad?
Neither LG nor Apple immediately responded to a request for comment from Business Insider.
