The recent Apple ad depicting a tower of creative tools and analog items crushed into the form of an iPad has received negative feedback from many, including myself. While some may argue that it is simply because we are watching things being destroyed, there is more to it than that. There are countless video channels dedicated to crushing and destroying everyday objects, and we are aware that this happens daily at recycling centers. The value of the items being destroyed is not the issue either, as most of them are junk that can be easily replaced. The problem lies in the message that Apple is sending.
The ostensible point of the ad is that you can do everything with an iPad. However, what Apple fails to understand is that the objects being destroyed represent the material, tangible world that has value. By crushing these objects, Apple is suggesting that they are no longer needed and can be replaced by their device. This belief is not only disgusting but also dismissive of the value that physical objects hold.
Destroying a piano or other objects in a music video or for entertainment purposes can be seen as an act of creation. However, Apple’s destruction of these objects to convince consumers that they don’t need them is wasteful and harmful. The digital transformation that we are currently experiencing has its benefits, but it also feels forced and detrimental at times. Apple’s vision of a future where physical objects are replaced by digital counterparts seems unrealistic and devoid of the value that these physical objects bring.
The virtual guitar on an iPad cannot replace the experience of playing a real guitar, just as a digital book cannot replace the author. Both have their own value and should be appreciated for different reasons. However, Apple’s ad sends a clear message that the future it envisions does not include physical instruments, paper books, or other tangible objects. This is the future that Apple has been selling us for years, but it has never been so blatantly expressed.
Apple’s ad serves as a reminder of the company’s vision for the future and what it wants that future to be. If this future aligns with your beliefs and desires, then you are welcome to it. However, for those of us who value physical objects and the experiences they provide, Apple’s vision is disheartening and disappointing. The ad serves as a stark reminder of the direction in which technology is pushing us, and it is up to us as consumers to decide whether we want to embrace or resist this vision.