Apple Pulls New Ad Featuring Comedian Martin Herlihy

Apple has taken down a new advertisement just one day after its release, marking the fourth ad removed in over a year. The ad, titled “The Parent Presentation,” featured comedian Martin Herlihy providing students with tips on how to persuade their parents to purchase a Mac.

Initially posted on Friday, the ad was removed from YouTube and the company’s webpage for college students by Saturday. Alongside the ad, Apple also released an 81-slide presentation template designed to provide parents with “45 undeniable reasons why a Mac is essential to college.” This presentation template remains available for download on Apple’s website.

Previous Ad Removals

In May of the previous year, Apple pulled its “Crush!” commercial, which depicted various creative tools being flattened, only to reveal the new iPad Pro at the end. The intention was to showcase the device’s capabilities for creative tasks; however, it sparked controversy and was subsequently removed from television and YouTube.

Later, Apple withdrew another ad titled “Out of Office OOO,” which featured a group of coworkers using Apple products during a business trip in Thailand. This ad faced backlash from Thai citizens and lawmakers for its stereotypical and outdated portrayal of the country.

In March of this year, Apple also removed an advertisement for the iPhone 16 featuring Last of Us star Bella Ramsey. This ad aimed to highlight an AI-upgraded Siri with features that are not yet available, such as the ability to recall names of acquaintances met months prior.

Reasons Behind the Removal

Unlike the previous ads that were taken down, there is no clear explanation for the removal of “The Parent Presentation.” Some users on social media have speculated about the target audience of the commercial, which may have contributed to its swift removal.

The Verge reached out to Apple for a comment regarding the ad’s removal but did not receive an immediate response.