Apple’s new Miami billboard is drawing attention for all the wrong reasons. Meant to showcase the creative power of the iPhone and iPad, the ad is part of the company’s ongoing “Shot on iPhone, Drawn on iPad” campaign.
It combines a photograph of a shark taken on an iPhone with playful sketches created on an iPad, including a scuba diver and an octopus. But at a distance, the scuba diver’s extended finger takes on an unfortunately suggestive shape that many online are calling phallic.
The billboard, positioned prominently above Miami’s I-95 freeway, has been visible for over a week and was first shared on the Miami subreddit. It quickly caught the attention of the Miami New Times and other outlets that didn’t shy away from calling out the visual resemblance. Up close, the design is more obvious: a fun underwater scene with a cartoon diver pointing at a shark. But from afar, viewers say it’s not immediately clear what’s going on. Many who saw it for the first time assumed the worst, which has sparked a mix of amusement, confusion, and criticism online.
Apple hasn’t commented publicly on the ad, nor has it taken it down or altered the image. The Miami billboard is still up, and the same design has also been posted on Apple’s official Instagram account. Whether the company simply didn’t notice or is choosing to stay quiet, the lack of response has only fueled speculation. Some users joked that Apple’s legal and marketing teams must have only reviewed the artwork at close range and missed the suggestive angle entirely.
But this might not be a mistake at all. Apple is known for carefully controlled branding, so it’s hard to believe this got through layers of approval by accident. The campaign is built around the idea that iPhone users can capture anything, and iPad users can draw anything. So in a way, the interpretation itself becomes part of the ad’s success. The controversy may even be working in Apple’s favor. What started as a localized billboard has become a global talking point, circulating across Reddit, tech blogs, and even mainstream press.
This isn’t the first time Apple has misfired with an ad. Last year, the company had to pull its iPad “Crush!” commercial after backlash over a tone-deaf metaphor that showed instruments, books, and art being smashed by a hydraulic press. Apple later apologized and chose not to air the ad on television. This time, though, Apple seems content to let the public talk, whether the attention is flattering or not.
