Apple Pulls 'Genius' TV Ads from YouTube and Apple.com

Apple has removed the controversial 'Genius' TV spots from its YouTube channel and from the Apple.com marketing page for the Mac. The ads were poorly received with some critics asking if it was a good idea to make potential customers seem clueless. Others thought they were excellent ads that showed non-technical Mac buyers the support options available to them.

NewImage
Apple stopped airing the ads on television soon after they were introduced during the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics, with Apple's ad agency saying they "were intended only for a 'first run' during the Olympics". They remained on YouTube and Apple's website for several weeks, and only in the past several days were they removed entirely.

Apple does tend to remove older advertisements from its website and YouTube over time, but the company still has ads on YouTube from as far back as November 2010.

Thanks Danny!

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
imac video apple feature

Apple Makes Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever

Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:45 pm PST by
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
maxresdefault

M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro Launch Imminent as Reseller Stock Dwindles

Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:12 pm PST by
New M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models are slated to launch in the near future, according to information shared with MacRumors by an Apple Premium Reseller. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The third-party Apple retailer said that MacBook Pro stock is very low currently because there is an imminent new product introduction. Apple typically coordinates supply with...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...

Top Rated Comments

CGagnon Avatar
176 months ago
These ads were bad and Apple should feel bad.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aluminum213 Avatar
176 months ago
the ads weren't awful, but Apple usually has the classiest ads on TV so by comparison to Apple's usual standards, the ads were junk
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleFan115 Avatar
176 months ago
They weren't absolutely horrible, but it is good that they are taken down. The one where a guy asks how to use iPhoto left me puzzled. Isn't one of the big selling points of a Mac its ease of use? Yes. Yes it is.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Goldex Avatar
176 months ago
Didn't like 'em anyway. :rolleyes:
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
imgonephishin Avatar
176 months ago
Whichever ad agency made these ads should be fired.

They were horrible...from the scripting to the shooting to the final post-production.

And whoever in Apple approved these should be demoted.

They obviously have no 'sense' of what the Apple brand is.
Haha. Overact much? You mean they should fire TBWA/Media/Arts Lab, the same company behind the Think Different and Get a Mac campaigns along with many, many other Apple ad campaigns for almost 30 years all the way back to the 1984 classic? Sheesh. So the ads weren't great. Let's all move on.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dscuber9000 Avatar
176 months ago
The ads should give the message "and we can help you personally if you need it" but they gave the feeling that you need to be taught how to use a Mac. It's scary for Windows users to switch to a Mac, and those commercials really didn't help IMO.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)