Apple is actively concealing its most recent MacBook advert, as well as multiple other comparable ones.
Fumbled Again: Apple's Strange MacBook Ad Vanishes
Apple has once again found itself in a pickle, but you wouldn't know it by looking. The tech giant posted and swiftly deleted a 7-minute advertisement on YouTube, titled "Show 'em the MacMagic," featuring comedian Martin Herlihy convincing a hall full of teenagers to sweet-talk their parents into springing for a MacBook.
The ad has nearly vanished from the internet, and no longer graces Apple's YouTube channel.
This is not the first time Apple has rushed to erase a marketing blunder. Here's the lowdown on the ad and a few peaks (and pits) from Apple's rollercoaster promotional history.
Apple Hides Controversial MacBook Ad
Over the weekend, Apple yanked this 7-minute ad off its YouTube channel within 24 hours of its debut. Dubbed "Show 'em the MacMagic," it bordered on a cringe-worthy skit and an actual persuasion guide for teenagers to sell their parents on a MacBook.
Although the video has mostly disappeared from the web, the presentation slides—a whopping 81 slides—can still be found at the time of this writing. Give it a look, if you dare.
June 20, 2025, saw Apple releasing a 7-minute video and a 81-slide presentation on convincing your parents to buy you a Mac for college. You can access the presentation on Apple's website in various formats like Keynote, PowerPoint, and Google Slides.
There's something peculiar about the ad, suggesting it might have been designed as a joke. But it comes off as being overly pushy. You can catch the whole fiasco in the X post above, one of the last places the ad has managed to cling on.
Interestingly, MacBooks are already (on top of the list) for the best laptops for students, and considering iPhones are the most-owned phones of teenagers, this wasn't exactly a demographic Apple needed to win over.
This isn't even close to Apple's biggest advertising blunder in recent years. That honor still goes to the "Crush" debacle.
The "Crush" Calamity: Apple's Best (and Worst) Ads
When Apple launched its thinnest iPad ever last year, all anyone seemed to be talking about was its soul-crushing ad.
The "Crush" ad was pulled soon after being posted, and it showed a massive industrial press machine mercilessly squishing a myriad of objects used for art and music. Once everything was reduced to rubble, the press opened again, revealing an iPad Pro.
The ad lives on in Samsung's response ad with the tagline "Creativity Cannot Be Crushed."
The "Crush" ad is arguably Apple's most tone-deaf ad ever considering the widespread fears of AI threatening artists' jobs. While the ad didn't specifically mention AI, it seemed to imply that a single device (or technology in general) could replace a wealth of creative tools used for self-expression, from guitars to painting to cameras, and by extension, maybe even artists themselves.
Funnily enough, people do use iPads for creating art. This reminds me of the "Show 'em the MacMagic" situation, where Apple seemingly missed the mark once again while reaching out to an audience it had already won.
Both marketing blunders are perplexing considering Apple's storied history in advertising. This is, after all, the same brand that produced the legendary "I'm a Mac" series with Justin Long and the iconic 1983 Super Bowl ad for the Macintosh 128K, loosely based on George Orwell's book "1984." This ad was a sly jab at Apple's then-rival IBM, but there's plenty to unpack in its symbolism. The actual Macintosh 128K wasn't even revealed in the ad.
Even though an advertising fumble doesn't mean MacBooks aren't great laptops for students, they sure aren't the only good options for students. If you're seeking the perfect laptop for college, you'd do better to base your decision on reviews and lab tests rather than a 7-minute Apple ad.
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- Remnants of Apple's controversial "Show 'em the MacMagic" ad, a 7-minute video, can still be found online.
- In 2025, Apple released a 7-minute video and an 81-slide presentation on convincing parents to buy their children a MacBook for college, which is accessible on Apple's website.
- The MacBook is often considered one of the best laptops for students, but it's not the only good option.
- Apple's "Crush" ad, which showed a mass press machine squishing various art and music tools to reveal an iPad Pro, was pulled soon after being posted.
- The "Crush" ad seems to imply that a single device could replace a wealth of creative tools, which was widely criticized as tone-deaf, particularly in the context of AI threatening artists' jobs.
- Interestingly, people do use iPads for creating art, which highlights the irony in the "Crush" ad's message.
- Apple's marketing blunders, like the "Show 'em the MacMagic" ad and the "Crush" ad, are perplexing given its history of producing groundbreaking ads such as the "I'm a Mac" series and the 1983 Macintosh 128K Super Bowl ad.
- If you're seeking the perfect laptop for college, it's better to base your decision on reviews and lab tests rather than a promotional video.
- In addition to laptops, gadgets like smartphones, tablets, and gaming laptops are essential tools for entertainment, social-media usage, and productivity in today's digital age.
