Apple has taken down an advert that was heavily criticized for its stereotypical portrayal of Thailand, and has issued a formal apology. This comes after Apple previously faced a similar backlash for its “Crush” iPad Pro advert, which Apple removed in May.
Apple’s 10-minute ad, titled “OOO (Out of Office),” was the latest installment of the company’s “The Underdogs” comedy series. The ad featured a group of coworkers solving workplace problems using Apple products. The ad, which aired in mid-July, featured the team traveling across Thailand to find a new packaging plant.
The advert was heavily criticised by the Thai public, lawmakers and social media influencers. The focus of the criticism was on the inaccurate depiction of the airport, transport, clothing and hotels, which the advert used a sepia filter to make Thailand look like an underdeveloped country. Thai lawmaker Sattra Sripan said: “The Thai people are deeply disturbed by this advert,” urging Thais to stop using Apple products and switch to other brands.
Apple said in a statement that the ad was intended to celebrate Thailand’s optimism and culture. “We apologize for not being able to fully capture the country’s vibrancy,” the company said, adding that the film has now been discontinued. Apple said it worked with a local production company in Thailand to shoot the ad. The ad has been removed from Apple’s YouTube channel, but the full version is still available to watch, according to a report by Campaign.
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had previously supported the advert. However, he told local media outlet Thairath that there were two sides to the story. When asked: “Are you worried that Apple will not want to invest in Thailand and that Thais will turn to Android?” Thavisin said he was not worried.