As noted by MacRumors, Apple has issued an apology to Thailand for the way the country was portrayed in a July “The Underdogs” short film, and the video has also been removed from Apple’s YouTube channel.
The humorous new video on its YouTube channel dramatized many of the uses of Apple devices, including its Apple Vision Pro spatial computing device. But, according to CNN, it sparked a backlash in Thailand.
The promo involves the “Underdogs” team heading to Thailand to get stuff made. The video, in Apple’s description, lets you “see Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro come together to help them find a new packaging factor, solve last-minute design changes, create prototypes, break down language barriers, and so much more.”
The 10-minute clip, which has received 5.4 million views since its release on Apple’s YouTube channel on July 18, is the fifth installment of the tech firm’s “Apple at Work – The Underdogs” series.
CNN sais that complaints flooded social media since the video’s release, with residents saying it fails to show the modern side of their country. Many claim the footage was edited to seemingly appear old-fashioned, with a faded sepia tone, and that the camera focuses on shabby architecture. Others have complained about the video’s airport scenes, during which one of the characters loses his luggage and seeks help from a local ground staff member called “Happy.”
“When I watched it, I was thinking, this was Thailand 50 years ago. This looked like Thailand 70 years ago. There were no segments showing the modernity of my home,” David William, an American content creator based in Thailand, said in Thai in a TikTok video that has been viewed over 11 million times.
