Apple recently dropped an eight-minute advertisement that seems to poke fun at a widespread tech problem. The commercial makes light of the infamous “blue screen of death” seen on Windows computers. Many believe it’s a direct jab at the CrowdStrike cybersecurity software glitch that affected millions of devices around the world last year.
The ad tells the story of “The Underdogs,” a fictional company preparing for a trade show. Suddenly, a blue screen error hits, causing total confusion at the event. Midway through the commercial, an IT expert named Sam steps in. He starts explaining a kernel-level error, sounding much like the real CrowdStrike incident from the previous year.
Sam jokingly explains that the problem with the PCs came from the kernel’s initial settings. These settings clashed with attempts by outside software or even malware to fix things. “That’s a PC issue,” Sam declares. “Your Mac, however, is perfectly safe.” It’s a clear message about choosing their brand.
Apple’s solution, shown in the advertisement, is remarkably simple: just switch to a Mac. The commercial wraps up with “The Underdogs” continuing their work without a hitch. They could do this, of course, because all their devices were Macs.
This playful jab brings to mind a serious event from July 2024. CrowdStrike’s Falcon software, which operates at the kernel level in Windows, had a buggy update. This update caused blue screen errors on devices worldwide. Airlines, banks, TV stations, and many other companies faced major disruptions to their daily operations.