One of Apple’s biggest launches for 2024 is the new generation of iPad Pro, which brought major advances compared to the previous model — including, for the first time in the line, an OLED screen and the new M4 processor with up to 10 cores. To highlight the tablet’s capabilities, the manufacturer released a new commercial on Tuesday (07).
However, the promotional material did not receive a positive reception. Called “Crush!” (“smashing”, in literal translation), the commercial displays various objects — with emphasis on art items, such as a piano, a metronome, a sculpture, books, cameras, paint cans, among others — being crushed by a hydraulic press.
After the slow-motion destruction scene, the hydraulic press rises and reveals the iPad Pro. The commercial’s message is simple: today, it is possible to create, reproduce and consume art, play, study and perform all the functions of ancient objects in one device as compact as Apple’s new tablet, which is the thinnest model ever launched by the brand.
The commercial received a reaction from several names in the seventh art, including award-winning British actor Hugh Grant. “The destruction of the human experience courtesy of Silicon Valley,” he describes in a post responding to Tim Cook, Apple CEO, on X (Twitter).
Asif Kapadia, a British filmmaker, also commented on the commercial for Apple’s new product. “It’s the most honest metaphor for what tech companies do to the arts, to artists, musicians, creators, writers, filmmakers: squeeze them, use them, don’t pay them well, take everything and say it was all created by them ”, said the artist.
“Honestly, what is wrong with you?” said filmmaker and actress Justine Bateman, who also serves on the board of the American union SAG-AFTRA, which represents thousands of film and television actors, journalists and other media professionals, on the issue of using artificial intelligence in the industry.
“The symbolism of indiscriminately crushing beautiful creative tools is an interesting choice,” said Kiaran Ritchie, animation programmer at Epic Games — a company that has a long history of legal disputes with Apple.
Apple has not publicly commented on the matter.
The iPad Pro is available for pre-order at the official Apple store costing from R$12,299 for the 11-inch version and R$15,899 for the 13-inch version. The tablet is equipped with an OLED screen with variable refresh rate from 1 Hz to 120 Hz, 12 MP camera, Face ID and M4 processor with 9 or 10 core options.
Tags: iPad Pro commercial released Apple CEO generates controversy suffers criticism Twitter
){kind=link}