If there's something we have learned on the internet, nothing goes unnoticed. No matter how dated a clip may be, there is a chance that it will resurface. Such is the case for a Beats by Dre commercial featuring Alabama newcomer Flo Milli. The ad in question was first released back in November as part of a campaign launched by the Apple-owned brand. Also included in the campaign were Cordae and Naomi Osaka, each starring in a commercial with a common theme of race and inequality in a 30-second clip.
The commercial for the popular headset brand features Milli stepping out of a vehicle parked near a confederate memorial. "May I" from the 20-year-old's debut album Ho, Why Is You Here? plays in the background as Milli approaches the statue, let's out a laugh, and begins dancing in front of the statue. After Milli finishes dancing in front of the confederate memorabilia, a text on the screen flashes "Flex that clap back." While social media reactions showed widespread agreement that confederate statues are bad and should in fact be eradicated, viewers raised their brows at the delivery of the message, questioning the overall creative direction.
Check out some of the reactions to the resurfaced commercial yourself below.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1345952103756427264
https://twitter.com/_/status/1346138497183309829
https://twitter.com/_/status/1346140036144758787
https://twitter.com/_/status/1346177846004350984
https://twitter.com/_/status/1345920040495964162
https://twitter.com/_/status/1346173669136084992
https://twitter.com/_/status/1346158418114060288
The commercial notably does not appear on the official Beats by Dre Youtube channel the way Cardae and Osaka's do, so it may very well be that it has already been pulled. Milli's team and Apple have not responded back to requests for comments yet, but we'll keep you updated when more information rolls in.
