Apple is embroiled in an ad controversy for the second time in 2024.
The tech giant has recently received backlash for an advertisement set in Thailand from lawmakers, influencers and citizens, as well as growing calls for a boycott over the film’s offensive portrayal of the Southeast Asian country.
The 10-minute ad, titled “OOO (Out of Office),” was the latest in Apple’s The Underdogs comedy series, which depicts a recurring cast of co-workers as they use Apple products to resolve problems in their workplace
The latest release featured the cast travelling around Thailand on a quest to find a new packaging factory and satisfy their U.S-based client, played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse. To adapt to his constantly changing requests, they scamper around the country on old trains and buses, encountering obliging locals and dingy hotels – with all their problems ultimately solved on the fly by Apple features.
However, the ad’s problematic use of sepia filters and misrepresentation of the country as underdeveloped and outdated has incurred outrage across Thailand and the globe.
“The video portrays something that looks like Thailand in the 1960s,” said TikToker That Thai Auntie.
Several users have also posted images of modern Thailand to contrast them with the run-down and shambling surroundings featured in most of the ad.
I like how @Apple put a 3rd world filter on contemporary Bangkok in their ads. Very classy. Now we can join Mexico as a fellow yellow filter countries pic.twitter.com/hxlrT9wYSj
— Lewis RK ( Mechalomania ) (@Rattapoom_K) July 26, 2024
“Thai people are deeply unhappy with the advertisement,” Thai lawmaker Sattra Sripan reported in a statement reported by Bloomberg. “I encourage Thai people to stop using Apple products and change to other brands.
In response to the growing backlash, Apple has pulled the ad. It is thus no longer available to view on the tech giant’s YouTube channel or other relevant platforms.
Apple also issued a statement and an apology:
‘Our intent was to celebrate the country’s optimism and culture, and we apologize for not fully capturing the vibrancy of Thailand today. The film is no longer being aired.’
Apple’s ‘The Underdogs‘ ad marks yet another marketing misstep in 2024. Earlier this year, the company’s launched a controversial ‘Crush’ ad which showed everyday objects of creativity getting crushed to reveal the company’s new iPad. The ad was similarly deemed ‘tone-deaf’ and insensitive, provoking backlash across social media.
Apple’s controversies have demonstrated the increasing need for sensitivity when it comes to marketing. However innovative, outlandish or glamorous campaigns or advertising may be, companies must nevertheless remain cautious to ensure that they remain respectful of their target audience.
