Apple has apologized for its ad (left) that showed supplies getting crushed in a hydraulic press. CEO Tim Cook (right) had shared it online, but faced withering criticism.Apple; Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesApple is facing backlash for an iPad ad showing analog art tools getting crushed.Apple apologized for the ad Thursday, and AdAge reported it won't run the ad on TV as planned.It wasn't even an original idea — LG used the same concept 15 years ago.Apple apologized Thursday for a widely panned iPad ad showing time-tested artistic tools — paint, a piano, camera lenses — getting crushed in a hydraulic press.Cribbing a viral trend, the commercial was supposed to tout the creative promise of Apple's new iPad Pro. But many viewers were just plain pissed."Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad," Tor Myhren, the company's VP of marketing communications, told AdAge in a statement. "We missed the mark with this video, and we're sorry."Apple will no longer run the spot on TV as previously planned, AdAge reports — though it's still available on the hardware giant's YouTube channel (with the comments turned off.)On X, Apple chief Tim Cook's post sharing the ad was flooded with criticism earlier this week.One commenter said the ad ironically served as a representation of how tech giants are squashing human creativity with AI. At the same time, Y Combinator cofounder Paul Graham suggested Steve Jobs never would have okayed the ad on his watch.But it turns out, the ad wasn't even an original idea.Fifteen years ago, Korean electronics company LG used almost exactly the same concept in a UK spot for its Renoir camera phone.In that ad, musical instruments, computer monitors, studio lights, and paints are all crushed in a press — revealing the sleekly intact Renoir in conclusion.Of course, there's no evidence Apple — known for its unique marketing prowess — copied LG's creative. It's more likely that the concept of crushing a bunch of different devices down into one product is a bit basic.It's also safe to say that back in 2008 — when technology felt more like a galvanizing opportunity than a looming threat — the ad didn't ignite nearly the same firestorm.Some YouTube commenters of yesteryear even seemed to really to like it."Love this advert for some relly wierd reason," one viewer wrote in 2008.Another added at the time: "Anyone who has this phone, is really that good or just an excellent ad?Neither LG nor Apple immediately responded to a request for comment from Business Insider.Read the original article on Business Insider
