“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
Apple as apologised for their tone–deaf "Crush" advert since the analogy hit too close to home at a time when artificial intelligence threatens work, livelihoods and culture.
What’s concerning is what the advert does not say. It overlooks broader societal concerns such as the environmental impact of tech production, the increasing digital divide and the crushing of culture, creativity and innovation. This oversight is not just a missed opportunity but also reflective of a larger cultural issue within Silicon Valley.
It’s not even original. Take the Logitech Advert that’s now circulating again thanks to Twitter––like the recent Apple Ad, it also uses a giant crusher to crush creative tools into a device, albeit this time with a focus on cameras and photography. The phone at the heart of the ad, the LG Renoir KC910, is a so-called camera phone with an 8MP shooter on the back.
The Tunnel Vision of Silicon Valley
How did something so offensive get approved?
The concept of "tunnel vision" within Big Tech—and particularly within Apple—is not new. It is symptomatic of a culture that is both self-referential and self-affirming. Within this bubble, ideas and values are recycled to the point where they reinforce a narrow worldview, often at the expense of wider perspectives. It leads to uniform thinking as teams lack diversity in background and experience, making tech companies far less likely to challenge established norms or introduce innovative ideas. Feedback within many tech companies tends to circulate within the same closed ecosystem, originating from employees, loyal users, and stakeholders who are deeply invested in the company’s success.
The Consequences of a Narrow Focus
The ad operates in a vacuum, focusing on the allure of technology without acknowledging the broader cultural and ethical contexts. This oversight is dismissive and insulting to diverse audiences who seek representations and considerations that resonate more deeply with their personal and societal realities. This insularity has wide-reaching consequences, not just for the companies involved but for the world at large.
The lack of cultural attuneness can be attributed to a homogenous workforce that might lack diversity in thought and experience, often resulting in a narrow perspective that fails to foresee how certain messages might be received by a global, diverse audience. Additionally, the closed feedback loops within the company—where input and critiques are primarily sourced from within the same ecosystem—mean that the ad's potential cultural insensitivities were not adequately challenged or addressed before its release.
Apple's latest advertisement should likely have undergone a far more rigorous scrutiny from a broader, more diverse panel before its release. The absence of such external oversight, combined with an echo chamber of similar perspectives, allowed a campaign that could be seen as culturally insensitive to be published. This scenario underscores the necessity for Big Tech companies to incorporate more diverse viewpoints and external feedback mechanisms to ensure that their outward communications honour and respect the varied cultures and values of their global consumer base.
FURTHER READNG
Human Designers vs Artificial Intelligence
The Real Story Behind Apple's 'Think Different' Campaign
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