The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2024
Apple's Thailand ad showed a shabby hotel — a parliamentary committee summoned Apple
The 'Underdogs' film meant to celebrate Thai culture. Critics saw stereotypes. Apple pulled it and apologised for missing 'the vibrancy of Thailand today'.
Apple · 2024-08-02
What happened
In late July 2024, Apple released the fifth instalment of its 'The Underdogs' ad series, titled 'OOO (Out of Office)'. The 10-minute video depicted Thailand through images critics called outdated: an old airport, congested transportation and a shabby hotel. The ad went viral on Thai social media and drew intense backlash for negatively portraying the country.
A House committee on tourism announced it would summon executives from the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Creative Economy Agency and Apple Thailand. Committee spokesperson Sarttra Sripan said: 'The government has a policy to promote soft power, but the advertisement severely affects Thailand's image.'
Apple removed the ad and apologised on 2 August 2024. The company said it had 'worked with a local production company' and 'collaborated closely with Thai companies', and that its intent was to 'celebrate the country's optimism and culture'. It added: 'We would like to apologize that the advertisement has failed to present the Thai way of life in a complete and appropriate manner.'
Why it happened
- The creative chose visual shorthand — old airport, shabby hotel — that read as stereotype rather than affection to the audience being depicted
- A local production company was used, but the final edit was approved by a global team that may not have weighed how the images would land domestically
- Thailand's government was actively promoting soft power and tourism, making the timing and framing especially provocative
- The ad was part of a global series with a fixed comic tone, and the humour did not travel: what played as underdog charm in Cupertino read as condescension in Bangkok
The lesson
A global comedy series needs a local veto on the images used to represent each country — the joke's target gets to say whether it is in on the joke.
Aftermath
Apple pulled the advertisement worldwide and issued a public apology. The parliamentary committee proceeded with its summons of tourism officials. The case was cited in Thai media as an example of how global brands' creative processes can conflict with national image-management strategies.
Sources
- Globe Thailand: Apple removes ad, apologizes following backlash in Thailand
- Campaign Asia: Year in review — biggest brand fails of 2024
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