Rage against the machine
Apple’s controversial ad also coincides with the 40th anniversary of one of its most celebrated commercials, “1984,” which aired during that year’s Super Bowl.
Directed by Ridley Scott and created by Chiat/Day, the iconic spot contained a hopeful message about technology, painting a portrait of a dystopian future where computers weren’t the enemy or something to be feared.
For many creatives, though, Apple’s “Crush” offers the antithesis: an ad where a squished trumpet and the remains of a sculpted bust serve as a visual metaphor for the threat big tech and generative AI pose to the already underfunded, underappreciated creative industries.
“On paper, it’s a cool idea. It’s also a brilliantly crafted film that, three years ago, creative people would have enjoyed,” said Alan Young, joint CCO of St. Luke’s. “But not today. Filmmaking, illustration, photography and music are all suddenly being constructed by autonomous systems, and this ad, to many, feels like a metaphor for that.”
For Jon Evans, chief client officer at ad testing platform System1, the work carries a sinister undertone, even if unintended.
“Back in 1984, Apple inspired me to crush the boring PC machine to liberate my creativity, but somehow, in 2024, we find Apple crushing the output of all that creativity and becoming the very machine they raged against,” he said.
System 1’s data, which measures emotional response and brand impact, found that Apple’s 60-second ad stirred negative emotions for consumers.
The creative scored just 1.9 out of 5 for its long-term market growth potential, and just 0.78 for its ability to drive short-term sales potential, against the tech category average of 1.07.
Only 77% of people recognized it as an Apple ad. The spot did drive happiness for 25% of viewers, but it overindexed for other feelings including surprise, disgust and contempt.
All press is good press
Despite the negative reaction, at the time of writing, the work had not yet had a significant impact on Apple’s stock price, which was up 5.93% over the past five days following a host of fresh product launches designed to help it offset slumping iPhone sales.
Though controversial, the ad is unlikely to dent Apple’s reputation as one of the world’s most valuable brands. In 2022 and 2023, it topped Kantar’s BrandZ list with a valuation of $880.45 billion.