Apple Returns To Its Roots With New 'The Underdogs' Ad, Taking Aim At Microsoft

More than a year ago, Apple released the latest episode of The Underdogs, a web series about a clever group of entrepreneurs who quit their jobs to start a paper box company. Since then, we've seen these colleagues go from launching their startup to taking a "heck of a business trip" to Thailand, where they searched for a new packaging factory to fulfill their biggest contract.

However, following Apple's bad luck with the M4 iPad Pro ad, which forced the company to issue a rare apology after it was criticized for "destroying art in favor of technology," Apple faced more backlash. The company had to pull The Underdogs campaign after viewers in Thailand objected to how the country was portrayed. Even Thailand's House Committee on Tourism asked Apple for clarification about the ad.

Apple later apologized, stating that the campaign "failed to present the Thai way of life in a complete and appropriate manner." Still, more than a year later, the company has decided to give The Underdogs new life. This time, the team is making bags, and instead of offending a country, Apple took a playful jab at its old rival, Microsoft, by referencing the infamous "Blue Screen of Death day" in 2024.

As mentioned earlier, this new eight-minute ad centers on the infamous BSOD day, when a faulty Windows security update crashed CrowdStrike servers, bringing down banks, airports, TV broadcasts, and more. In the ad, the PC outage disrupts the Underdogs' debut trade show appearance. Everybody starts to panic, until they realize their team is unaffected because they're using Macs. Throughout the video, Apple highlights the advantages of its ecosystem, showing how users can unlock their Mac with an Apple Watch, instantly share files via AirDrop, and more.

Apple also underscores how Macs can help businesses grow. While other exhibitors struggle with their PCs, the Underdogs' booth keeps running smoothly, powered by Macs. By the end of the video, they even lend a hand to their competitors, offering an M4 Pro Mac mini capable of running multiple displays in a compact form factor. Now, we just have to see if Apple's Underdogs video will continue or if the company might have stirred up another controversy.