Red Bull apologises to Indonesia for secretly shooting offensive commercial at heritage site
Video was shot without permission at Borobudur temple, which is considered sacred.
Red Bull has publicly apologised for shooting a commercial in which an athlete performed acrobatic stunts across one of Indonesia’s ancient holy temples, an official said on Thursday.
The energy drink manufacturer issued an apology in national newspapers admitting it shot the video at the 9th-century Borobudur temple “without permission from the appropriate authorities”.
The video – in which a famous “free running” athlete is shown jumping between the temple’s stone stupas – triggered outrage in Indonesia, where Borobudur is a revered Buddhist site and national icon.
In one scene, the athlete is seen walking past a sign clearly stating “No Climbing” in both English and Indonesian before performing acrobatics throughout the Unesco-listed heritage site.
The video was shot secretly despite the crew having been issued a warning by temple guards, said Borobudur Conservation Agency head Marsis Sutopo. “They must have shot again while our guards were not looking,” he said.