iPad Pro's new ad is called the most controversial idea of ​​2024

The most controversial iPad Pro advertisement in 2024, "Crush", sparked a discussion on the conflict between creativity and humanistic feelings. This article analyzes the brand communication strategy behind the advertising creativity and its impact on the market. It is recommended for marketing professionals and those who follow advertising creativity to read.

This advertisement from iPad Pro, called "Crush", is known as the most controversial idea of ​​2024 and has sparked heated discussions since it went online.

The advertisement uses a visually impactful form of expression. After a burst of music with a strong sense of urgency, the hydraulic press presses towards keyboards, sculptures, trumpets, pianos, lenses, books, game consoles and other common objects. As various objects are crushed, the new iPad Pro comes out. What the brand wants to show is that everything can be thrown away, and the iPad Pro can combine all traditional devices.

The brand uses this method to show the powerful product capabilities of iPad Pro, aiming to effectively convey the advertising information. However, the extremely oppressive and destructive creativity makes people feel uncomfortable, and some even think that it is a creative offense. As soon as the "Crush" advertisement was launched, it caused dissatisfaction among some netizens, and negative comments came on the scene. This seems to be in contrast to the keywords "most advanced in history", "incredible" and "extraordinary" that Cook "touted" on social media. That's it?

This also left competitors with an opportunity to laugh at themselves. Samsung released a short film with connotation based on this idea. From the name of the advertisement "UnCrush" to the presentation of the entire advertisement, Samsung not only "stepped on" Apple but also "added another blow". "Creativity cannot be crushed" can be regarded as the finishing touch of its advertisement.

The reason why it is called the most controversial creative idea is that the creativity of the "Crush" advertisement itself brought consumers an uncomfortable experience. The conflict between advertising creativity and humanistic feelings

In the advertising creativity, the brand showed that the iPad Pro combines the functions of everyday products such as musical instruments, paints, sculptures, game consoles, etc., but it used a very destructive way to show the brand's communication appeal, allowing many netizens to begin to empathize with the small objects that accompany them, and have a dual incompatibility of visual and emotional experience.

In the eyes of more people, small items in life, no matter whether the products are technological or not, the meaning of the old objects themselves is greater than their product functions, and they carry people's personal feelings. For example, Nokia's keypad phones have been selling well recently. People buy keypad phones not because of the powerful product functions, but because of a sentiment.

Back to the Apple advertisement, for music, art, photography and other enthusiasts, they have feelings for the musical instruments, paints, lenses and other items they use in their daily lives. When faced with their "partners" being crushed, they will inevitably produce negative energy empathy, which makes users feel suffocated.

Advertisements with a sense of conflict can easily leave a deep impression on people, but when the content of the advertisement conflicts with humanistic feelings, it can easily breed negative sensory experiences. The discussions triggered at this time can achieve the publicity of brand needs, but may affect the final sales of the product. This kind of communication is not worth the loss for the brand.

Secondly, the controversy of the "Crush " ad comes from the problem that the creativity does not match the brand image and business philosophy.

As a technology brand, the starting point of the creative is "destructive". This direct creative mode has also caused complaints from the public, saying that this kind of advertising creativity does not look like what a cutting-edge technology product should have. Some people even said that the creativity of iPad Pro is a bit of a self-depreciation.

At the same time, the hydraulic press method of direct crushing was also regarded as uncreative by peers in the advertising industry. For a technology brand that has creativity written into its DNA, being criticized by the target audience for lack of creativity is undoubtedly fatal.

The advertising expression runs counter to the environmental protection concept advocated by the brand

At the same time, the objects presented in the "Crush" advertisement were crushed in a destructive manner, and some netizens began to question the "environmental protection concept" advocated by the brand in its previous marketing.

For a long time, Apple has publicly announced its commitment to sustainable development and environmental protection, and has "practiced" it in all aspects of its brand development. As early as the 1990s, the brand proposed a long-term commitment and plan to achieve carbon neutrality across the entire value chain. At the same time, it has incorporated environmental protection concepts into product design, energy selection, packaging innovation, and no longer randomly providing headphones and data cables.

However, this time, Apple violently crushed old objects that carry people's emotional value, turning them from products into waste, which seems to be completely contrary to the environmental protection concept advocated by the brand. In this way, consumers' doubts about the iPad Pro advertisement are not just for the sake of criticizing it, but have certain basis. This also explains why the brand chose the vice president of marketing to apologize.

Rough and simple advertising ideas can indeed more directly reflect the brand's marketing appeal, but the unconventional approach must also be consistent with the brand's long-standing business philosophy, values ​​and culture. Otherwise, marketing will be counterproductive and even affect the brand's long-established values ​​and culture, which will not be worth the loss. In Mr. Bingfa's opinion, advertising creativity itself has always been a matter of opinion. Although the iPad Pro advertisement "Crush" caused a lot of ridicule, forced the vice president of marketing to apologize, and even gave the opponent a marketing "opportunity", it won the opportunity for secondary exposure and extended the life cycle of the advertisement. In terms of "wide publicity" and communication effects, it is undoubtedly a success.

Author: Mr. Bingfa; Source public account: Marketing Bingfa (ID: 1075056)