Apple takes a hydraulic-press to toys, musical instruments, and more in new iPad ad

The ad is for the thinnest Apple product ever.

On May 7, 2024, Apple introduced the latest iPad Pro during its “Let Loose” event. This new version has a larger screen. The 11-inch variant, a new size, is incredibly thin at just 5.1mm. Apple boasts that it is its thinnest product yet. The 13-inch iPad Pro, also new, is just a little larger than the existing model, measuring 5.3mm thick. In India, the starting price for the iPad Pro M4 is Rs 99,900.

The iPad launch event also unveiled its first ad titled Crush. It shows how the new M4 iPad Pro can do professional-level work even though it is really thin.

Set to the song All I Ever Need Is You by American Pop duo Sonny & Cher, Crush shows everything being squashed into Apple's thinnest product ever. This new iPad Pro is full of professional features, apps, and other cool things one can experiment with it.

To show how powerful the iPad Pro is, Apple smashed a bunch of things with a hydraulic press machine. It crushed stuff like a saxophone, piano, sculptures, a gaming machine, a music system, an Angry Bird toy, cans of paint, a TV, a camera, a guitar, books, and rubber emojis. Then, the machine lifted up to reveal the new iPad Pro.

Every scene in the ad was filmed live without computer effects. The company picked items not just because they looked cool when crushed, but to show how one can experiment with an iPad Pro. These items were chosen to add fun to using the iPad. The ad will be shown on TV, social media, and YouTube.

At the same event where the iPad Pro was unveiled, Apple also introduced a new iPad Air. While it looks similar to the previous model, it has some upgrades. The new iPad Air runs on the faster M2 chip instead of the M1 chip found in the older version. Plus, its base model now has 128GB of storage. In India, its price range starts at Rs 59,900.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the launch of the new iPad Pro.

Meet the new iPad Pro: the thinnest product we’ve ever created, the most advanced display we’ve ever produced, with the incredible power of the M4 chip. Just imagine all the things it’ll be used to create. pic.twitter.com/6PeGXNoKgG

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 7, 2024

However, the tweet received a lot of criticism from netizens who strongly disliked the ad. “It is a heartbreaking, uncomfortable, and egotistic advertisement. When I see this result, I'm ashamed to buy Apple products since nineteen years,” commented a user.

“I felt sad when I saw creative tools such as musical instruments and cameras being destroyed. I don't think the creators will like this video. Is it my Japanese sensibility that makes me feel this way?” wrote another user.

A user also wrote, “Genuinely Apple’s creepiest ad since the Mother Earth DEI debacle. No one cares about your products being thin or solving climate change or whatever.”

In 2012, Apple made the thinnest iPod Nano ever, measuring 5.4mm thick. Now, in 2024, Apple beats that record by releasing the new 13-inch iPad Pro, which is even thinner at just 5.1mm.