Xiaomi Japan apologizes for using nuclear bomb and 'Fat Man' imagery in ad

Xiaomi Japan issued a public apology today after it received backlash for a recent advertisement. The ad in question promotes the speed of the Redmi Note 9 Pro using nuclear bomb imagery as well as a “fat man” that looks like a white balloon.

“Fat Man” was the codename used for the nuclear bomb dropped by the United States on the Japanese city of Nagasaki in 1945 during World War II. Black and white imagery of the bomb itself make it look like a huge white balloon.

Somehow, Xiaomi Japan thought this ad would skirt by without controversy, but that was not to be. Check out the apology below (in Japanese):

The apology roughly translates as follows:

This latest product promotion for the overseas market contained ill-considered content and the video has been removed. Xiaomi respects users and cultures around the world, and we will be closer to our users when producing new products that promote them. We will do everything we can to prevent it from happening again in the future and to resolve the problem.

Although the Xiaomi Japan statement says the video has been removed, this is the internet, so it is still easily found. We’ve mirrored it above.

This isn’t the first time a Xiaomi ad has caught controversy. Just recently, a Chinese ad referenced the Hong Kong protests by using the term “five platforms, not one less,” a clear reference to the “five demands” of Hong Kong protestors.