Samsung Crushes Apple’s Controversial Ad With Follow-Up Spoof About Creativity
Video screenshot via Samsung Mobile US
Samsung is going up against one of Apple’s rare—albeit significant—missteps with a snappy commercial clearly aimed at the Cupertino giant’s recent Crush campaign. Apple’s advertisement, cooked up in-house and featuring a hydraulic press crushing various creative tools, was met with widespread criticism for its perceived message of stifling creativity in the pursuit of digital innovation packed into the new iPad Pro.
The South Korean company has seized the opportunity to respond with a spot of its own, interestingly titled UnCrush. Its take cheekily picks up where Apple left off, complete with a similar backdrop and color scheme. We see a musician navigating the aftermath of a giant hydraulic press, its destructive path littered with the debris of crushed creative tools. The character stumbles upon a partially destroyed guitar, but amid the wreckage, a beacon of hope emerges—a gleaming Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra displaying musical notes on an easel.
We would never crush creativity. #UnCrush pic.twitter.com/qvlUqbRlnE
— Samsung Mobile US (@SamsungMobileUS) May 15, 2024
This playful jab avoids directly mentioning Apple, but the timing and imagery leave little room for misinterpretation. Samsung appears to be positioning itself as the champion of artistic freedom, offering a clear contrast to Apple’s version.
The video concludes with the message that “Creativity cannot be crushed,” subtly poking fun at Apple’s approach while promoting Samsung’s product.
With that, some viewers have pointed out that the company may have missed the mark—in the words of Apple in its apology for disappointing creatives—as its argument mentions that its tablet is powered by “Galaxy AI.” The Apple commercial ignited fury for seemingly downplaying human creativity in favor for technology, which is what its Android rival appears to be touting too.
[via AppleInsider and 9to5Google, video and cover screenshot via Samsung Mobile US]
