Apple issued an official statement in line with its latest ‘The Underdogs’ ad.
The Cupertino-based company apologized for its portrayal of the country Thailand in ‘Out of Office’ short film. In line with the apology, Apple removed the video on its official YouTube channel. Released on July 18, ‘The Underdogs: OOO (out of office) told the story of the band traveling in Thailand as they strove to complete a project. However, the video showed them staying at a rundown hotel and traveling in a tuk-tuk. Shortly after it was released, Thai people said the ad was offensive and showed their displeasure on social media channels.
Aside from the low-tech and undeveloped vibe, viewers also said the focus on dilapidated architecture and sepia tone had an outdated stereotype. The Thai House of Representatives Committee on Tourism asked people to boycott the video, and Apple responded promptly by taking it down and issuing an apology.
