Apple, once the beloved brand among creatives, seems to have lost its connection with its original core audience.
A Glimmer of Hope in 2022
In March 2022, Apple fans had a reason to rejoice. After years of neglecting the Mac Pro and witnessing the brief stint of the iMac Pro, Apple finally launched the all-new Mac Studio and Studio Display. This moment seemed like a turning point, prompting me to write an enthusiastic article proclaiming, “Apple is back.“
The Golden Era: 2004-2016
Between 2004 and 2016, Apple’s “Pro” line was synonymous with creativity and innovation. The apple.com/pro section celebrated the achievements of creative professionals. With the Studio launch, there was hope that Apple would rekindle its relationship with its creative audience.
A short-lived revival
Unfortunately, the revival was brief. In the latest commercial for the Apple iPad Pro dashed these hopes by crushing musical instruments, suggesting they had been replaced by the iPad Pro. This move displayed a complete lack of understanding of Apple’s core creative audience.
Crushing a piano, trumpet & guitar evokes the same primal horrific sacrilege as watching books burn.
Surprisingly tone-deaf from Apple, who’ve previously enabled & championed creativity.
But I imagine they’ll see how out of tune this is once they turn off the autotune. https://t.co/ZdRmVrcOZl
— Crispin Hunt (@crispinhunt) May 9, 2024
The backlash on social media was swift and fierce, prompting an apology from Apple:
“Our goal is always to celebrate the myriad ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry.”
Apple’s trend of sidelining the creative community is evident. As of now, none of Apple’s computers aimed at creatives have been updated with the latest chips. The new iPad Pro boasts the M4 chip, but the Mac Studio and Mac Pro are still running on the M2. To consumers, this suggests that the machines intended for creatives are two generations behind.
Apple’s recent action has raised further concerns about its commitment to the creative sector. While the launch of the Mac Studio and Studio Display provided a brief moment of optimism, the company’s subsequent actions, and no actions, have left me wondering if Apple still values its creative roots.