Apple’s ‘Underdogs’ Return to Poke Fun at Blue Screen of Death
Apple’s entrepreneurial ‘Underdogs’ are back, and as usual, they’re thriving under pressure. In the latest instalment of the long-running series, things go spectacularly wrong at a trade show when the dreaded ‘blue screen of death’ crashes the event’s PC-powered booths.
Developed by Apple’s in-house team and directed by Bertie Ellwood of Object & Animal, the eight-minute episode – aptly titled BSOD – turns last year’s global CrowdStrike bug, which paralysed Windows computers worldwide, into its latest marketing punchline.
As ever, the story follows the scrappy start-up team from Apple’s fictional packaging company as they hustle to land a big organic food client. When a rival exhibitor’s PC setup collapses mid-demo, the Underdogs keep calm and carry on with their trusty Macs. A tongue-in-cheek FaceTime cameo from the group’s resident IT expert drives the point home: Macs aren’t affected because their security routines are isolated from the system kernel.
Now in its eighth instalment, The Underdogs has become a fixture of Apple’s brand storytelling, even winning a Cannes Lions Film Grand Prix in 2022.
Last year’s Thailand-set business trip sparked criticism for cultural insensitivity and was later pulled, but the series remains a showcase for Apple’s blend of humour and hardware – following its scrappy team as they design new products, navigate remote work, quit their jobs, and pull off a rescue mission across New York.
