Creative Good: Apple made a terrible mistake: it told the truth

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses Apple's recent advertising campaign that "told the truth" about the company's agenda to destroy anything that stands in the way of its dominance, including creative tools, music, and human connection. The author argues that this campaign backfired, as it revealed Apple's true intentions as a totalizing, colonial power that seeks to eliminate alternatives to its digital platforms and screens.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Apple's "Crush" Ad Campaign

1. What was the premise of the "Crush" ad campaign by Apple?

• The ad campaign featured a video showing a hydraulic press crushing various creative tools and objects, including a trumpet, video game console, piano, and a toy with a human-like face.
• The video conveyed the message that Apple will destroy anything that offers an alternative to its digital platforms and screens, leaving only its glass tablet as the sole survivor.

2. How did the author interpret the meaning and implications of this ad campaign?

• The author argues that the ad campaign was "boldly telling us the truth" about Apple's agenda to eliminate competition and dominate the digital landscape.
• The author sees the ad as indicative of the "arrogance" and "sadism" of Big Tech companies, which are acting like "colonial masters" by colonizing data and destroying alternative ways of living.
• The author suggests that the ad campaign backfired because colonialists are "never supposed to speak so directly" about their destructive plans.

3. How does the author compare Apple's ad campaign to the movie "Crazy People"?

• The author draws a parallel between the premise of the movie "Crazy People," where advertisements start telling the truth, and Apple's "Crush" ad campaign.
• In the movie, the truthful advertisements performed well, but the author notes that "the real world doesn't work that way" and that Apple's experiment in telling the truth has backfired.

[02] The Broader Context of Big Tech Colonialism

1. How does the author situate Apple's ad campaign within the broader context of Big Tech colonialism?

• The author cites the book "Data Grab: The New Colonialism of Big Tech and How to Fight Back" by Ulises Mejias and Nick Couldry, which argues that the behavior of Big Tech companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft is mirroring the actions of the British East India Company.
• The author suggests that the new "territory to be colonized" by Big Tech is not land, but data - the data that flows from our daily lives, which is surveilled and harvested to enrich the tech empires.

2. What is the author's view on the fight against Big Tech colonialism?

• The author believes that the fight against Big Tech will be a long one, and that the ultimate goal should be to "restore everything Big Tech has taken away" - to give back a society that values creative tools, music, books, and human connection, rather than just digital screens and platforms.
• The author encourages readers to join the fight against Big Tech, suggesting that they can become a member of Creative Good to participate in this effort.