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My initial reaction to the ad, upon watching it in the launch event was "huh, that's a fun reference to the Hydraulic Press Channel". The slapstick elements (tr
by maxrobeyns 2y ago
My initial reaction to the ad, upon watching it in the launch event was "huh, that's a fun reference to the Hydraulic Press Channel". The slapstick elements (trumpet noise, squishy balls) made it come across as light-hearted, rather than an ominous display of force by a large company crushing artists' tools.
This idea of 'squashing all these tools down to a thin slab of glass' made sense given their somewhat unusual focus on the thinness of the device. It was a bit of a throwback to the early 2010s smartphone innovation, where the size of the devices was the yardstick by which manufacturers would outdo each other. I would charitably interpret it as an uninspired marketing team trying to spin some version of Jobs' classic "the iPhone is simultaneously an iPod, phone and internet device" - however the party trick is old, and nobody's impressed anymore.
Perhaps the blowback is a sign of a wider weariness that people have accumulated towards big tech companies over the past few years, mixed with a nebulous malaise about 'AI' and what it means for the status quo and people's livelihoods.
- matwood 2y ago> It was a bit of a throwback to the early 2010s smartphone innovation It was also a throwback to the original iPhone announcement bringing all these separate functions into one.
- JohnFen 2y agoThe clear meaning I got from the ad was: we want to destroy everything and make you buy our product instead. I know that wasn't what they were going for (I'm pretty sure, anyway), but it's very hard for me to interpret it differently. I never connected it to the hydraulic press channel at all for some reason.
- mattgreenrocks 2y agoYou either get the symbolism of "let's crush all remaining vestiges of creative culture" or you don't. If you don't, that's fine. Policing the extent of people's reactions doesn't make for constructive conversation, and, ironically, is merely a different form of "over-reaction."
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- timr 2y ago> You either get the symbolism of "let's crush all remaining vestiges of creative culture" or you don't. Correction: you either choose to believe that's the symbolism, or you don't. I "get" it, intellectually, but I don't think that was the intent of the advertiser, nor do I think it's the obvious interpretation of the ad. The obvious interpretation, to me, was "hey, we can piggyback on this hydraulic press channel meme and sell iPads!" Tellingly, few people care that the hydraulic press channel exists, despite actually crushing all sorts of stuff [1]. See also: the viral "does it blend?" ads [2], and any number of music videos or performances where instruments are destroyed [3] (practically a meme unto itself), etc. [1] including instruments (listen to the guitar 'scream' under the press!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsQOKKE7UbM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsQOKKE7UbM [2] they blended a skeleton! oh, the symbolism! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsTZm7QtY84 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsTZm7QtY84 [3] boom go the guitars (this, apparently, was not the one moment that mattered): https://youtu.be/QvW61K2s0tA?feature=shared&t=175 https://youtu.be/QvW61K2s0tA?feature=shared&t=175
- labcomputer 2y agoI think the ad is a bit a Rorschach test. Most people see a butterfly. Others see man violently stabbing a bicycle, and that says more about them than the creators of the ad.
- timr 2y agobasically agreed, except I think that the latter group is 90% comprised of people who see an opportunity for performative angst and/or attacking Apple.
- dxdm 2y agoOr, you know, _only_ seeing the butterfly and then being dismissive about other interpretations, maybe people who do that also have things revealed about them. ;)
- atmosx 2y agoThe fact, the add went through a considerable amount of people and no one raised a red flag tells you all you need to know about the industry.
- xadhominemx 2y agoYes, that was what the ad depicted but obviously that was not the meaning of the ad. The ad was a metaphor.
- dnissley 2y agoMaybe you can go into that more. Where's that intuition coming from that tells you "Apple wants to destroy everything"?
- thomasahle 2y agoIf you are already weary of too many screens; and you find a world with more physical objects less bleak. It's not so much that Apple "wants to destroy everything". It's just that they care more about the digital world than the real world. This is the same intuition that makes people weary of virtual reality. See also this image of Steve Jobs' office vs Tim Cook's: https://www.instagram.com/starworldlab/p/C5TRLqAujPJ/ https://www.instagram.com/starworldlab/p/C5TRLqAujPJ/
- JohnFen 2y agoIt's in the context of how the FAANG segment of the tech industry has become overbearing and is cheerfully destroying all sorts of great things in order to replace them with more tech. It's not really about Apple specifically, but more that the ad is graphically illustrating something that already seemed to be all too true.
- steve1977 2y agoAt least I know now what HP channel means, I was wondering how Hewlett Packard was involved in all of this… I‘m getting old…
- racl101 2y ago> Perhaps the blowback is a sign of a wider weariness that people have accumulated towards big tech companies over the past few years, mixed with a nebulous malaise about 'AI' and what it means for the status quo and people's livelihoods. I think you hit it on the head. It's not so much anger about seeing a piano or a trumpet get crushed but more about the symbolism of it. Which, I think is definitely tone deaf on Apple's part. The fact is, artists, developers and many people from all walks of life are terrified of what AI will mean for their jobs and their livelihood, and also, afraid that it cheapens everything they've spent all their life learning and mastering. There's definitely a lot of pent up fear and/or hatred for it bubbling at the surface for many people and this commercial just kind triggers those feelings.
- mattgreenrocks 2y agoIt's also from Apple's long-time core audience. I'm not sure how people don't understand this, other than maybe they've forgotten the roots of Apple's comeback.
- verdverm 2y agoI think everyone is overly negative around the world for a variety of reasons COVID hangover, war, elections, food prices That news & social media is significantly negative and designed to induce and promote rage, that's the crux of this issue
- some_random 2y agoI think the big thing here is that if you don't have an attachment to any of the items being crushed you probably don't feel as strongly. If you're a trumpet player, seeing a trumpet being crushed is going to be a bit distressing. If you're a photographer, you're putting a monetary value on those lenses being destroyed. If you're into old arcade machines, you're thinking about how many of those cabinets are left in that good of a condition.
- Alupis 2y ago> If you're a trumpet player, seeing a trumpet being crushed is going to be a bit distressing Really? I play the trumpet and felt nothing watching this ad. My trumpet wasn't being crushed, so who cares? It wasn't a rare Stradivarius, nor even a high-end Schilke or anything... Even if it was - why care? They can make more trumpets after all...
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- Tiktaalik 2y agoThe arcade one particularly distressing given that arcades and their unique arcade hardware are rapidly vanishing across the world without replacement.
- Brian_K_White 2y agoNot to mention a bit rich considering their stance on emulators and game stores.
- caseyy 2y ago[flagged]
- wiseowise 2y ago> Backlash for a short ad crushing a few colorful items in an interesting way is simply neurotic. See the definition of neurotic for more clarification. > a few colorful items
- baxuz 2y agoIt reminded me of the old Game Boy Pocket commercials: https://youtu.be/qzAo9HzOgtQ https://youtu.be/qzAo9HzOgtQ https://youtu.be/CWh_6jutU7M https://youtu.be/CWh_6jutU7M
- verdverm 2y agoThat first one is pretty on point and hilarious in comparison
- hot_gril 2y agoIt's simply uncomfortable to see a lot of valuable creative tools being slowly destroyed for no reason, especially a piano. I'm not even thinking about the symbolism.
- hn8305823 2y agoWait until you see what goes on at the county landfill.
- hot_gril 2y agoIt happens, and maybe the ad was just CGI, but it doesn't mean I enjoy watching it. Like, the Burger King ads don't show a cow being butchered.
- wnc3141 2y agoI picked up on the context of all the human experiences we perceive as wrapped up in those items - as sorts of resiviors for human emotion and symbols of self actualization. I think a more apt analogy would be: you wouldn't host an estate sale at the site of that person's funeral.
- odyssey7 2y agoGiven Apple's standards, it's impossible to imagine them crushing a piano in real-life and having it come apart on film in just the way they wanted.
- hot_gril 2y agoThe camera zooms in a lot on certain objects coming apart, so maybe they animated or even re-shot select parts of it, but the overall thing was real?
- steve1977 2y agoAnd then the burger being thrown away.
- chrisknyfe 2y ago[flagged]
- VelesDude 2y agoI ask myself the same thing almost everyday and then that one really cool thing comes along. Yep pretty much mental gambling in the same way other social media is. I got rid of all of that, HN is my last hold out for now.
- javajosh 2y agoI saw the ad as trying to draw an equivalence between the iPad and all of those creative tools, as if owning an iPad is equivalent, or even better, than owning those objects. This is a lie, a deception, and apart from lamenting the loss of so many wonderful objects the lie of it is what really sticks in my craw.
- napierzaza 2y ago[dead]
- spandrew 2y agoYeah — I liked it in general. But can completely see why artists would hate the concept of a giant weight crushing the artistic object that has fueled their life-long obsessions.
- kenjackson 2y agoThis outrage feels so manufactured. I'm a huge basketball fan, coach, ex-player. If they included a basketball in the ad my thought would've been "yeah, you can play NBA2k on it". I'm not mad about the destruction of a single basketball. I don't feel like its disrespect to the game. It's showing that this single device has captured elements of basketball into a small form factor. As you note this may hint at a larger weariness with big tech -- and I tend to agree. I feel like if it was a public library crushing a bunch of things, and then ends with it lifting up and showing a library card there wouldn't be the same concerns.
- pc86 2y agoLook at the replies to the original tweet, it's all as you say completely manufactured outrage. Perpetually-online wannabe influencers with 70 followers talking about how it's "problematic." Maybe it has to do with Big Tech, I don't know but that sounds like it could be it. Regardless, it's absolutely ridiculous.
- theonething 2y agoAgree. All this hubbub over nothing. People today are too fragile, enjoy outrage or both.
- surye 2y agoOutrage is profitable, it drives engagement, and encouraged by these platforms algorithms. And when everyone sees so much outrage all the time, it normalizes it on the platform so even if you're not seeking income from it, that's the default stance.
- humanrebar 2y agoPeople love outrage. Many are not aware of it though. If you're engaging with it, it's for you.
- Mtinie 2y agoI disliked the ad. I wasn’t outraged. I take a nuanced view that it was a piece of creative poised to be an impressive addition to Apple’s advertising laurels that missed the mark because its creators failed to account for a growing cultural unease.
- quartesixte 2y agoMy initial reaction was the opposite — “wow they are kind of late to the hydraulic press channel hype. That’s odd.” For a company that has always prided itself on having strong marketing chops, this felt out of character. And perhaps a sign of the general change in culture and standards at Apple.
- ErigmolCt 2y ago>...general change in culture and standards at Apple Thinking it is a bad thing...
- pokstad 2y agoIf my metronome app stops complying with iOS developer guidelines, it will stop working or Apple will pull it. This doesn’t happen to a real dedicated metronome. The App Store is a problem for iPad. Developers need the freedom to develop solutions for iPad without Apple constantly breaking their APIs or introducing new standards. Otherwise nothing on iPad is timeless.
- stephc_int13 2y agoI am not a musician or photographer, but I see the emotional value of those extremely well crafted and often beloved objects. I create software, mostly, but I practice woodworking as a hobby, and I can tell how difficult it is to build a piano or any kind of musical instrument. I found the ad extremely distasteful, enough to trigger mild nausea. I see the point they were trying to make, but it is both dumb and old, and frankly nobody asked for a thinner iPad. The most annoying part is that _they_ did not feel what countless people saw and felt, they are too disconnected from their audience. The outrage is not made up, some of us felt it in our bones, I understand that we don't all share the same sensitivity, but you can't simply brush it off as if this was somewhat orchestrated or theatre.
- grumpyprole 2y agoSpot on. An iPad won't last long enough to become some omes beloved object.
- creer 2y agoHow much of a blowback was that really anyway? I mean a social media headline that a few others pile on... is rather limited as a blowback. If anything both ad idea and implementation are mediocre - and perhaps should have been rejected on that account. This is indeed Youtube shorts stuff. And someone pointed out the exact same ad idea from LG 15 years ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcUAQ2i5Tfo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcUAQ2i5Tfo with even more musical instruments.
- apantel 2y agoIt depends if it sticks in the cultural memory. Their 1984 ad has been immortalized. And, “Hi, I’m a Mac. And I’m a PC.” Ads can have lasting impact.
- rconti 2y agoIt made me cringe, but only because I saw it after hearing about the controversy. It made me wonder whether I'd have had the same reaction if I just saw it "fresh".
- userbinator 2y agoPerhaps the blowback is a sign of a wider weariness that people have accumulated towards big tech companies over the past few years, mixed with a nebulous malaise about 'AI' and what it means for the status quo and people's livelihoods. Exactly. It's not only the creative artists who are opposing, although that's what this ad targets; a lot of others not in big tech are also very displeased with where things are going. The sentiment of this resistance can be summed up in two short sentences: "You will not replace us. Machines will not replace us."
- benreesman 2y agoI think this is exactly correct: “Perhaps the blowback is a sign of a wider weariness that people have accumulated towards big tech companies over the past few years, mixed with a nebulous malaise about 'AI' and what it means for the status quo and people's livelihoods.” To the former point, I think it was Doctorow that coined the term “enshittification”. To be fair to Big Tech, they’re not any worse than healthcare companies, or airlines, or any of the countless (sometimes it seems basically all) corporations that have been steadily turning the crank on making the modern experience a little worse every year for typical people (I’m not interested in silly summary statistics like per-capita GDP or the CPI, those are gamed to hell: give me an arithmetic mean and I’ll give you a corrupt system). It’s that so recently they were so much better. When I joined a FAANG in 2011 I had no issue wearing company gear around. People would be like: “that’s awesome I use that every day it’s great”. By 2018 I was lying in coffee shops and bars about what I did for a living (one of the main reasons I left). Regarding AI broadly construed, it could be used as a wildly powerful tool for leveling the playing field, the way Google was when it appeared. It’s in the hopes of realizing that outcome that I work on it and am so vocally critical of those who just trivially don’t want that. But it could also become the greatest tool for oppression since the firearm, and I think the public is starting to get wise to the fact this is unfortunately the path we’re on. It’s trite, but I always come back to this: when the robots are finally capable of doing all the work, do we get Star Trek TNG or Blade Runner. The technology is a step in either direction depending on how it’s used and regulated.