“A Chinese smartphone maker has apologized for an ad comparing Apple to mass-murdering Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler,” Luke Dormehl reports for Cult of Mac.
“The ad depicted a cartoon Hitler performing the Nazi salute, with his red armband showing the Apple logo instead of a swastika,” Dormehl reports. “‘I am deeply sorry for publishing the animation ad on Weibo on Friday,’ Letv CEO Jia Yueting said in a statement issued to Cult of Mac. ‘In hindsight, it was a misstep and I have removed it. It was insensitive and wrong to try to use such an image in a lighthearted way … My intention was to express our vision that open-ended technology ecosystems are more beneficial to consumers and encourage true innovation. Please accept my sincere apologies, and thank you for your attention and understanding.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Open-ended technology ecosystems are more beneficial to consumers and encourage true innovation? Oh, really? All evidence shows that Apple’s vertically-integrated, curated ecosystems are more beneficial to consumers (ease-or-use and security, for just two examples of many) and encourage true innovation (ApplePay and Continuity, for just two examples of many) than fragmented, insecure, so-called “open” platforms.
With a rocket scientist like Jia Yueting in charge, the outlook for Letv (whatever that is) seems bleak.
Freaking idiot Chinese ripoff copycats.
I find the use of a National Socialist icon by a member of a socialist state to criticize a capitalist organization ironic.
They just wanted to get attention and they succeeded.
You know, you’re right. I still don’t know the name of the company though.
you don’t but chinese do now know them
good point.
SUE THEM, SUE THEM!!!
A Chinese apology thats worth something. Lets go to the back and cash it./s
Few things in the world more worthless than that.
They only apologized because not enough people paid attention to them. Ironically we still don’t know who they are. So now I just think the entire Chinese SmartPhone industry is guilty from this one video. I have nothing else to go on.
I mean in a Communist Government, this should have gotten approval first… So either the Government agrees with the contents of the cartoon, or the author has been executed.
He’s been called worse…..on this site no less
Dirtbag advertising at its finest!
Hitler called. Says his reputation has been slandered and demands an apology too.
With 99% malware infecting those open platforms it is NOT working and I don’t see any innovation just copying Apple.
Wow, I’ve seen worse things on South Park. I certainly have no qualms about the comparing the two when it comes to those who possibly cannot distinguish Apple from the rest of the country it comes from. After all one good apple doesn’t save the bushel.
Oh course there is a lot of sick humor, the Nazis tortured a section of their own people (and those they conquered) while respecting those they fought against via the Geneva convention whereas the other scum do it the other way around.
Anyway it’s to be expected that such humorless freaks will go ballistic if you mock them in a cartoon by drawing one of their proteges.
So remember citizens of the civilized world a laugh a day keeps that happy flow.
This Chinese invoking of Godwin’s Law was easily the most deceitful and idiotic public statement by ANYONE in the month of March, 2015. Letv CEO Jia Yueting put nasty old Verizon to shame.