Apple
Others remarked on the footage’s sepia-toned color grading, which media critics have said is often used to convey a less-affluent environment.
One X user joked that Thailand has become a “yellow filter” country, saying, “I like how Apple put a third-world filter on contemporary Bangkok in their ads. It’s very classy.”
Several social media users posted images of modern Thailand in order to contrast with the run-down surroundings featured in much of the ad.
Apple
The portrayal particularly stings for East Asians, he said, given the amount of manufacturing labor these countries provide for tech companies.
Indeed, last year, Nikkei Asia reported that Apple was looking to expand its manufacturing base beyond China, with a view to making its Macbooks in Thailand.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has defended the advert, saying it could still benefit the country’s “soft power,” the Bangkok Post reported.
It’s the second time this year that Apple has faced criticism of its advertising. The latest “Underdogs” ad comes only weeks after the company pulled a badly-received iPad ad.
That ad depicted a hydraulic press crushing musical instruments and other creative tools.
It was meant to convey how many features are crammed into an iPad but reminded many onlookers of the potential threat that technology, particularly AI, poses to creative careers.
In that case, Apple’s head of marketing and communications, Tor Myhren, said the company “missed the mark.”
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.