Apple and Google misstep with their Controversial Ad Campaigns

This week has been tumultuous for the marketing teams at Apple and Google, as both tech giants faced intense backlash for their latest advertisements.

Apple's "Underdog" Ad Controversy

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

Apple’s new promotional video, part of its "Underdog" series, has been heavily criticized for its portrayal of Thailand. The ad, intended to celebrate the country's optimism and culture, ended up offending many for its "regressive" and "outdated" depiction. The film, a 10-minute long feature, shows four characters—the "Underdogs"—navigating a workplace crisis using Apple products. Their adventure takes them to Thailand, where they jump from trains and hop into tuk-tuks, searching for a packaging factory to meet a client's demands.

However, netizens have criticized Apple for painting a negative picture of Thailand as an unfavorable environment for entrepreneurship and for using common clichés that the country has been trying to shed. Following the backlash, Apple apologized and pulled the ad from the internet. Reports suggest that the ad was produced in-house, not by Apple’s usual creative agency, TBWA’s Media Arts Lab.

Google's Gemini Ad Sparks Outrage

Similarly, Google faced criticism for its "Dear Sydney" Gemini chatbot commercial. The ad features a father using Gemini to write a letter on behalf of his daughter, a young sprinter who admires American hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Critics argue that the ad dehumanizes the process of writing fan mail, a traditionally heartfelt and personal gesture. They believe the ad discourages people from writing genuinely from the heart and instead promotes the use of AI chatbots.

The backlash has been severe, with a Washington Post columnist expressing a desire to "throw a sledgehammer into the television" every time the ad airs. Some critics have also noted that the commercial adds to the growing paranoia around AI, suggesting it could lead to the extinction of creative jobs as we know them.

Unlike Apple, Google has stood by its ad, stating, "We believe that AI can be a great tool for enhancing human creativity, but can never replace it."

A History of Controversial Ads

This is not the first time these companies have faced criticism for their marketing strategies. Not long ago, Apple was under fire for its "Crushing Creativity" ad, which depicted a hydraulic press destroying everyday art instruments like a piano, paintbrush, and canvas. The ad was seen as an attack on traditional forms of creativity, similar to the criticisms now being leveled at Google.

As these tech giants navigate the backlash, it remains to be seen how they will adjust their marketing strategies to better align with public sentiment.