Apple’s latest ad, the fifth in the tech giant’s “At Work” series, takes a group of people to Thailand in search for a factory that can accept a large order of custom-made cardboard boxes in only a few days. The promotional material is supposed to showcase a wide range of features on all types of Apple devices, but it was the portrayal of Thailand in the almost 10-minute video that sparked online controversy.
The clip was published on Apple’s YouTube channel on 18 July and has so far gained over 5.5 million views. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has hailed the campaign as a great soft power tool, which could work as a “magnet to attract people worldwide to visit, work and live in Thailand, making Thailand a key destination for people globally”, spokesperson Chai Wacharonke said.
Despite the official’s satisfaction with the ad, online commentators have pointed out that the video ignored the country’s modernisation and evolution over the past decades. Even more, a sepia filter appears to be applied over the footage, making more faded and giving Thailand an old-fashioned appearance.
This was Thailand 50 years ago.
David William, American TikToker based in Thailand
“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 TikToker based in Thailand shared on the social media platform. His clip has got more than double the views Apple’s ad.
“Thailand is a modern, safe and beautiful country. I just hope [people] don’t misunderstand”, William told CNN in a subsequent interview, explaining that in the 10 years he’s been living in the southeast country he has never seen “a cab looked that bad before” and its main airport in Bangkok is just as modern as New York’s JFK.
Others have said Thailand looks “terrible” and questioned what the video was ultimately trying to present. Some Android users for whom live translation, one of the handiest tools for the protagonists of the ad, is not a really a new feature, have also said they missed the point of the video and were left unimpressed by the presentation.
Apple has not commented on the mixed reviews yet, but its distributor in Thailand said that “negative criticism would not affect sales as the brand had no intention to insult any countries, and what people thought might not match the core meaning that the brand intended to convey in the first place”, the Bangkok Post reported.
Comments for the video on YouTube were deactivated soon after its release and, in the meantime, Apple has fully removed it from their account.
