Apple has issued an apology for a recently released advert for the iPod Pro that featured the crushing of vintage musical instruments and equipment. Music fans and critics found the ad to be in bad taste while questioning its effectiveness in promoting a music creation product. The ad sees old guitars, pianos, trumpets, and metronomes crushed while accompanied by a backing track of Sonny & Cher’s ‘All I Need Is You’. Additionally, turntables, speakers, and arcade games were also shown being put through the crusher. The clip was shared by the company CEO, Tim Cook and it led to a significant backlash on social media.
Following the uproar, Apple was forced to apologize for the advert. While announcing the apology, the company’s vice president of marketing communications, Tor Myhren, stated that they missed the mark with the video and apologized. He added that creativity is key to Apple’s DNA since they design products that empower creatives all over the world to explore their imagination and bring their ideas to life through iPad. Therefore, their aim is always to celebrate the various ways users express themselves while bringing their ideas to life through its products.
In the meantime, Apple confirmed, in January, that they would pay a higher royalty rate to artists for music made accessible in spatial audio. Spatial audio creates virtual surround sound and was made available at no additional cost by Apple in June 2021. Starting from January, artists will receive a 10% higher royalty rate for spatial audio music. This initiative demonstrates the company’s commitment to fostering better relationships with artists on its platforms.
Critics of the advert did not hold back their disapproval, with one user asserting that they could not recall the last time they saw a promo that immediately turned them completely against the product it was supposed to be selling. Hugh Grant even accused Silicon Valley of causing the destruction of the human experience. The company was also slammed for the promotion, with critics describing it as catastrophic and genuinely dystopian
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