JAKARTA 鈥 Red Bull has publicly apologized for shooting a commercial in which an athlete performed acrobatic stunts across one of Indonesia鈥檚 ancient holy temples, an official said last week.
The energy drink manufacturer issued an apology in national newspapers admitting it shot the video at the 9th-century Borobudur temple 鈥渨ithout permission from the appropriate authorities.鈥
The video 鈥 in which a famous 鈥渇ree running鈥 athlete is shown jumping between the temple鈥檚 stone stupas 鈥 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 鈥淣o Climbing鈥 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, Borobudur Conservation Agency head Marsis Sutopo told AFP.
鈥淭hey must have shot again while our guards were not looking,鈥 he said.
The video, uploaded online on March 18, sparked outrage within Indonesia and prompted the government to threaten a legal suit against Red Bull.
Authorities later issued a warning to the drink company after determining no physical damage had been incurred.
Red Bull met with government officials in early June and agreed to place formal apologies in national newspapers.
鈥淲e want to set an example because we painstakingly try to conserve this historical site,鈥 education ministry official Hilmar Farid told AFP.
鈥淚t was obvious as there was a 鈥楴o Climbing鈥 sign there too.鈥
Red Bull have also been asked to shoot a new video explaining the importance of protecting holy sites, Farid added. 鈥 AFP
