Apple makes rare apology
After the new iPad commercial caused widespread criticism, Apple issued a rare public apology on May 9, local time, and stated that it would not be broadcast on TV as planned.
On the 7th, Apple released an advertisement for the iPad Pro called "Crushed". In this advertisement, a huge and heavy hydraulic machine handles people's favorite things such as books, trumpets, paint buckets, guitars, pianos, gramophones, statues, drums, as well as cameras, game arcades, monitors, plastic dolls, etc. to destroy them. The trend was crushed into pieces, and then the iPad Pro 2024, the thinnest product in Apple's history, was launched.
Visually, this ad is very impactful.
▲Although the creativity of this advertisement is not difficult to understand: Apple has "pressed" a large number of functions into this thin and powerful tablet, and it can do professional artistic creations such as drawing, arranging music, taking photos and retouching.
But the problem is that, as a consumer electronics product aimed at professional users, this advertisement crushed all these creators who are "eating guys". This strange negative emotion eventually turned from the angry condemnation of a small group of professionals into a public opinion storm, which is unprecedented for Apple's marketing activities.
The ad is still on Apple CEO Tim Cook's X account and has been viewed more than 53 million times on social media.
▲Cook posted the ad on Advertisement” “It makes me want to sell my iPhone and iPad”…
Some people believe that such advertising is detrimental to Apple's image at a time when AI technology is developing rapidly and regulators may split the Apple App Store.
In response, Apple's vice president of marketing communications Thor Myron issued a statement on the 9th, admitting that the advertisement did not achieve the "expected effect" and apologized for it. He emphasized that creativity is in Apple's DNA, and Apple has always been committed to inspiring the creativity of creative people around the world through its products. Their goal has always been to encourage users to express themselves in a diverse way and turn their ideas into reality through the iPad, and this video fails to achieve that goal.
Ad industry executives believe the ad represents a huge misstep for Apple, which was lauded for its ability to capture consumers' attention through advertising when late co-founder Steve Jobs was at the helm.
Consumer insights platform Zappi conducted research on this ad. The platform said the ads performed below the benchmark on commonly popular emotions such as pleasure and laughter, but performed above the benchmark on traditional negative emotions such as shock and confusion, with older consumers more likely to react negatively than younger consumers.
Apple's financial report released on the 2nd showed that in the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, the company's operating income was US$90.75 billion, a year-on-year decrease of approximately 4.3%; net income was US$23.64 billion, a year-on-year decrease of approximately 2.2%.
The financial report shows that Apple’s mobile phone sales fell to US$45.96 billion from US$51.33 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal year, a decrease of approximately 10.5%; sales of wearable, home and accessories products dropped from US$8.76 billion to US$7.91 billion.
Looking at the sales market, Apple's revenue in Greater China, the Americas, Japan and other Asia-Pacific regions all declined year-on-year in the quarter. Among them, revenue in Greater China dropped to US$16.37 billion from US$17.81 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal year, revenue in the Americas dropped from US$37.78 billion to US$37.27 billion, and revenue in Japan dropped from US$7.18 billion to US$6.26 billion. Revenue in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region fell to $6.72 billion from $8.12 billion.
As of the close of trading on May 9, local time, Apple was trading at $184.57, an increase of 1%, with a market value of $2.8 trillion.
