Leading American chain, Dunkin' Donuts has apologised for what it described as the "insensitivity" of an advertising campaign launched by its franchiser in Thailand.

The ad campaign features a woman in blackface makeup promoting a new chocolate flavored doughnut. The Dunkin' Donuts franchise in Thailand faced severe criticism from various sections and Human Rights Watch described the ad as bizarre and racist. The franchise first defended the ad campaign but the US based parent offered an apology for the advertisement.

"We are working with our Thailand franchisee to immediately pull the ad. DD recognizes the insensitivity of this spot," Dunkin' Donuts said in an update on Twitter. The apology came after the company faced criticism from Twitter users as well as in the mainstream American media.

The Thai franchise had launched the campaign to promote its new "Charcoal Donut" in the Asian country. The ad campaign, which included posters, TV commercials and ads on Facebook, showed a smiling woman with blackface makeup, pink lipstick and retro beehive hairdo holding a bitten black doughnut. The ad campaigned aired with the slogan in Thai reads: "Break every rule of deliciousness."