For most folks, Earth Day likely evokes thoughts of friendliness, caring and responsibility. For Apple, though, the holiday is an opportunity to take a jab at one of its biggest rivals.
Apple today took out a large advertisement in several prominent U.K. newspapers, including The Guardian and Metro, that highlights its efforts to be green. The ad includes a few mentions of what Apple is doing to be more environmentally-friendly, but half of the page is taken up with the words “There are some ideas we want every company to copy,” which looks to be a swing at Samsung. The rest of the ad’s text reads as follows:
“There's one area where we actually encourage others to imitate us. Because when everyone makes the environment a priority, we all benefit. We'd be more than happy to see every data centre fuelled by 100% renewable energy sources. And we eagerly await the day when every product is made without the harmful toxins we have removed from ours.
Of course we know we can continue to do better. We've set some pretty ambitious goals for reducing our impact on climate change, making our products with greener materials and conserving our planet's limited resources. So the next time we come across a great idea that can help leave the world better than we found it, we look forward to sharing it.”
Apple and Samsung have been embroiled in a legal war for the past few years that’s seen the two companies duking it out in court rooms around the globe. Both firms allege that they’ve been copied and that they’re owed damages for their troubles. Apple won a jury trial in late 2012, but recently the two companies have gone back into the court room for another round.
What do you think of Apple’s full-page ad and its swing at Samsung?
