CEO Apologizes for Comparing Apple to Hitler

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Posted April 1, 2015 at 12:31am by iClarified

CEO of Leshi TV Jia Yueting has issued an apology after posting an offensive ad that declared Apple as Hitler. The ad featured Adolf Hitler wearing a red armband with the Apple logo in place of the Nazi swastika.

The poster read "Crowdsourced, Freedom vs. Arrogance, Tyranny" and was supposed to illustrate that Apple is stifling innovation and harming the interests of users.

After the image drew international attention, Yueting issued the following apology:

"I am deeply sorry for publishing the animation ad on Weibo on Friday. 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."

Yueting also replaced the image of Hitler in the ad with that of a king. You can see the new ad below. It's meant to promote LeTV's upcoming LeTV X900 smartphone.

Read More [via CultofMac]

CEO Apologizes for Comparing Apple to Hitler

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AppleMan12 - April 1, 2015 at 10:06am

With a CEO that stupid,i can't see a bright future for this company.

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Dommm - April 1, 2015 at 8:32am

I can't see how you compare a company to a person. You could call Tim cook , Hitler as their leader. You could call apple nazis as they're a group

aandreii - April 1, 2015 at 7:18am

Marketing tricks... Probably the apology letter was drafted before the first poster was released ...

MUKAI - April 1, 2015 at 2:04am

Hahahaga no mamen!

JohnDoe - April 1, 2015 at 1:42am

Why is it that if Jews are made fun of, it is a hate crime but if Arabs or Muslims are mocked, it is considered "free speech"? Are not both situations wrong and offensive so why the double standard?

Anthony - April 1, 2015 at 5:10pm

Exactly!!!... Now in all honesty this is not the forum for this type of conversation... But....... Exactly!! It is sad what these people are doing.

Hassan4141 - April 1, 2015 at 5:29pm

It is a religon of peace and i hope you guys realize that sooner then later

Sheesh... - April 1, 2015 at 1:14am

You can't come back from that.

gamerscul9870 - April 1, 2015 at 1:08am

Yeah right, criticizing another company to claim who you are trying to relate to. So planned out was it not?

stevenlacross - April 1, 2015 at 12:53am

They don't need to apologize, freedom of speech, they can say whatever they want to say, doesn't make it true either.

gamerscul9870 - April 1, 2015 at 1:09am

It was necessary. They went overboard over someone so innocent. It's like pitying a popular girl in school and you try to be them. That says a lot here.

Bdiz - April 1, 2015 at 12:50am

That was a major fuckup.