Source: Jiupai News
China Women's News, China's flagship media outlet dedicated to women's development:"OPPO may not have intended any malice in its original concept, but brands should never mistake offensiveness for creativity. Mass communications is not meant to be exclusive to a niche subculture. It addresses a much broader audience. In adopting that subculture's language, the brand has overlooked how the term's meaning shifts in different contexts."
Source: China Women's News website
China Business News:"Instead of choosing appropriate phrasing, like "mothers can also be fans of celebrities," the ad used an improper metaphor to grab attention. If the brand really wanted to break stereotypes surrounding motherhood, it should have shown genuine respect for the diverse identities of mothers, rather than creating new offenses through sensational and controversial phrasing.
Source: China Business News website
A top smartphone maker's Mother's Day campaign turned a celebration of motherhood into a marketing disaster. On May 8, OPPO posted a graphic to platforms Weibo and RedNote titled "Redefining My Mom Through the Lens," aiming to showcase mothers' diverse personal interests beyond domestic roles.
Apparently, they include crushing on young male pop stars. One of the captions, written from a child's perspective, reads: "My mom has two ‘husbands.' One is my dad, the other she sees twice a year," referring to seeing her favorite idol in concert. "When she goes on dates with my dad, she barely puts on makeup. But with the other, she'd wear a wedding dress if she could."
The lines reference Chinese fandom culture, where fans of all ages, including middle-aged married women, jokingly call their favorite male idols "husbands."
The post went viral within hours. While some defended it as harmless wordplay, many on social media argued that suggesting a mother has two husbands degrades marriage and offends public morality.
Facing pressure, OPPO removed the post and issued an apology, acknowledging the campaign's "inconsiderate wording" but maintained it intended to shatter stereotypes and present a "more diverse, multi-dimensional portrait of the contemporary mother" who can be "passionate about marathons, immersed in creative writing or involved in celebrity fandom."
The controversy escalated. On May 10, the China Advertising Association publicly condemned the campaign for violating advertising ethics, which includes distortions of family values. OPPO issued an internal accountability memo on May 11, resulting in penalties for those responsible. Duan Yaohui, head of OPPO China, was demoted two ranks.
Old Version
