ALBAWABA - American tech giant Apple is under fire across Thai social media for a recent ad that showcased an outdated and unrealistic view of Thailand.
The 10-minute video which was posted on Jul. 18, 2024, garnered more than 5.5 million views by the time of writing this article and was titled, "The Underdogs: OOO (Out Of Office) | Apple at Work"
Additionally, it's among a series of clips that Apple named 'The Underdogs' which follows the story of four individuals who want to overcome the workplace crisis using Apple products.
Apple under fire for 'Terrible' Thailand ad
These four characters are put into different settings and situations where they have to overcome problems using Apple products but the tech giant's approach triggered many Thai locals.
They take a work trip to Thailand where they have to race across Thailand's streets using trains and Tuktuks to find the best factory that would produce a million boxes for their client (Christopher Mintz-Plasse).
Christopher Mintz-Plasse is an American actor who is best known for his role as McLovin in the beloved comedy movie, 'Suerpbad'.
Thai people took to social media and complained about how the ad showcased an outdated look into Thailand instead of taking a more modern approach. Instead, it showed old-fashioned buildings and played with camera color settings to make the country appear older.
When they were in the US, everything appeared to be pristine and shiny but colors changed when the characters took off to Thailand.
(The Underdogs: OOO (Out Of Office) | Apple at Work)
A YouTuber called Stuart Jay Raj said, "Apple WTF were you thinking? This video enforces all the stereotypes that you would've had 30 or 40 years ago and probably around the Vietnam War era of Southeast Asia... and puts them all in the same clip."
"You might say that it's a joke but this has a real-world impact, countries like Thailand depend on tourism, investment, and trade to succeed." He added that having stereotypes like the ones in Apple's recent ad would affect Thailand negatively.
He also called the ad a "cheap version of The Hangover."
