India, June 24 -- In a rare move, Apple has quietly hidden its new Mac ad that urged youngsters to buy Macs for their parents, drawing attention from both fans and critics. The campaign, called "The Parent Presentation," was launched as part of Apple's back-to-school push, targeting college-bound students and their families. The centrepiece was a video featuring comedian Martin Herlihy, who demonstrated how students could use a downloadable slideshow to convince their parents that a Mac is the right choice for university life.

The ad was initially given a prominent spot at the top of Apple's College Students page and was uploaded to YouTube. The video showed students practicing their pitches, highlighting features of the MacBook Air such...