Apple is no stranger to canceling controversial ads, especially in recent months. Earlier this year, after the launch of the M4 iPad Pro, creatives all over the world took to Twitter to share their distaste over an ad that crushed a whole bunch of creative tools into a computer.
Apple pulled the ad as a result — and now, another ad has been pulled after backlash from the entire nation of Thailand.
A step back
The ad in question was part of Apple’s 'The Underdogs' series of longer adverts that follows a group of people solving issues that crop up in their work with Apple products. Set in Thailand, the ad sees the group encounter all kinds of Thai stereotypes, and Thailand and its people aren't happy with how the nation is portrayed.
Bloomberg tells us that Thai social media influencers and internet users found the ad “grossly misrepresented” their country as “underdeveloped and outdated”. There were also comments from the Thai parliament, which encouraged Thai people to stop using Apple products to show Apple the damage it has done.
The advert has been particularly damaging because Thailand is currently trying to encourage more tourists to visit the country, and it viewed the ad as something that might do the opposite. As the number of visitors to Thailand returns to pre-COVID levels, the country wants to make sure that the image it portrays of one that people might want to visit.
Apple has since canceled the ad and pulled the 10-minute short film from screens.
It’s not been silent since then — the firm has issued an apology to Thailand. “Our intent was to celebrate the country’s optimism and culture, and we apologize for not fully capturing the vibrancy of Thailand today” the statement reads, continuing that “The film is no longer being aired.”