Apple Pulls Latest Ad After Criticism Over Depiction of Thailand

Apple today issued an apology to Thailand for the way the country was portrayed in a July "The Underdogs" short film, and the video has also been removed from Apple's YouTube channel. In the ad that was released on July 18, the underdogs design team traveled to Bangkok and Rayong, Thailand for a project and were depicted traveling in a tuk-tuk and staying in a rundown hotel.

underdogs video
Thai residents found the depiction of Thailand offensive, and took to social media to criticize Apple for portraying the country with outdated stereotypes. The video made Thailand look "low-tech and underdeveloped" due to the faded, sepia tone and focus on dilapidated architecture, according to the Bangkok Post.


Thai House of Representatives Committee on Tourism spokesperson Sattra Sripan called for a boycott on Apple over the video. "Thai people are deeply unhappy with the advertisement," he said. "I encourage Thai people to stop using Apple products and change to other brands." He said that the tourism committee planned to invite Apple representatives and state agencies to discuss the ad.

Apple in a statement to Bangkok Post this morning said that it was sorry that Thailand was inaccurately portrayed, and confirmed that the ad had been taken down.

Our intent was to celebrate the country's optimism and culture, and we apologize for not fully capturing the vibrancy of Thailand today.

Apple worked with Thailand-based film production studio Indochina Productions on the video, and it was shot entirely in Thailand. Since 2019, Apple has released several videos that star the underdogs as part of an "Apple at Work" ad campaign.

This is the second ad that Apple has pulled this year. When the M4 iPad Pro models came out in May, Apple showed a video of a hydraulic press crushing an array of creative tools, which was not well received by creatives. Apple pulled the video, apologized, and said that it had "missed the mark" with the ad.

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Top Rated Comments

kylelerner Avatar
15 months ago
Can anyone not be offended by anything?
Score: 89 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fenderbass146 Avatar
15 months ago
Eyeroll... So sick of the unneeded apologize culture we have created.
Score: 72 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lotones Avatar
15 months ago
Over-sensitivity to something as mundane as a well-intentioned ad is a symptom of the pervasive intolerance infesting our planet.

People need to get over themselves and lighten up. There are a lot more important things to get upset about.
Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jdavid_rp Avatar
15 months ago
Next time make one based in Spain. I don’t mind if they include paellas, drunk people with sangrias, Spaniards taking naps at 7pm, flamencas and whatever other stereotypes I don’t remember lol
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nfl46 Avatar
15 months ago
My goodness. The world is so damn sensitive. You have to be PC with every damn thing nowadays or you will get canceled.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Powerguru Avatar
15 months ago
I love how sensitive everyone is. Great going humans. I miss the 90s.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)