Apple has pulled a 10-minute film set in Thailand following criticism from legislators and social media users in the country.
The film, “The Underdogs: OOO (Out Of Office)” was the fifth instalment in Apple’s Underdogs series and followed three American staffers trying to track down a cheap packaging factory in the country to meet the requirements of a demanding client.
In the film, the co-workers navigate Bangkok and cultural differences between the US and Thailand, including riding a TukTuk, losing their luggage and poor-quality hotels.
Here’s the film, which is no longer available on YouTube, via Ad Age.
The film sparked concerns among lawmakers in the tourism committee of the House of Representatives, which had planned to invite representatives from Apple and state agencies for a discussion on the matter, according to panel spokesman Sattra Sripan
“Thai people are deeply unhappy with the advertisement,” Sattra said in a statement on Thursday.
“I encourage Thai people to stop using Apple products and change to other brands.”
“Our intent was to celebrate the country’s optimism and culture, and we apologize for not fully capturing the vibrancy of Thailand today,” Apple said in a statement on Friday.
“The film is no longer being aired.”
Campaign reported that the ad was created in-house and not by TBWA\Media Arts Lab.
This is now the second time this year that Apple has pulled one of its ads after missing the mark. In May, Apple apologised for its “Crush” ad which showed musical instruments, pots of paint and other creative objects being crushed in a hydraulic press to form an iPad Pro.
“Crush” is still available to view on YouTube, unlike this latest in the “Underdogs” series that has been running since 2019.
