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A Chinese cosmetics brand, FLORTTE, is facing a wave of backlash over its latest advertisement, which critics have slammed as vulgar and disrespectful to women. The controversy erupted on September 2 when a popular Weibo blogger with around 5 million followers, known as "Bunny Class," publicly criticized the brand's promotional campaign, calling it excessively provocative.
FLORTTE, which was established in 2019 and targets women aged 18 to 24 with affordable products, found itself at the center of a social media storm over a poster for its new "Little Bow Series" lip gloss. The poster, featured on the brand's official Taobao store, shows a female model wearing lace gloves and kneeling in a suggestive pose. Adding to the controversy, the lip gloss applicator, which is heart-shaped, appears to resemble male genitalia due to the lighting and camera angles.
The ad quickly drew widespread condemnation, with many accusing FLORTTE of objectifying women for the sake of marketing. Feng Yuan, co-founder of the Beijing-based NGO Equality, which focuses on gender equality, criticized the campaign for promoting a “male gaze” and alienating women. She emphasized that portraying women as sexual objects for male pleasure not only disrespects women but also risks backfiring in a market where women are becoming increasingly self-aware.
Feng added that the strong backlash reflects the growing autonomy of young women, who are asserting their consumer rights and rejecting brands that fail to respect them. The online criticism has been severe, with many expressing disgust and frustration. One netizen wrote, "Who would buy this lipstick? If someone asks what the shade is called, how could you say 'Kiss Little Juju' with a straight face?"
Further criticism arose over the suggestive names of FLORTTE's lip mud shades, such as "Kiss Little Juju," "Kiss Neinei," and "Kiss Cherry." In Chinese, these names are colloquially associated with male and female genitalia, adding to the outrage. One observer pointed out the inappropriate connotations, questioning how a lip gloss could be marketed with such a name.
In response to the controversy, FLORTTE told news outlet ifeng.com that their customer service team was unaware of the issue but would forward the complaints to a specialist for verification. Despite the backlash, the brand’s new products remain available, though the lip mud has been removed from their Taobao store.
Public sentiment remains overwhelmingly negative, with netizens continuing to express their disappointment. "If you do not respect women, do not expect to make a penny," one person commented. Another added, "I thought it was a sex toy ad based on the photo." Many have called for the brand to reconsider its marketing strategies or risk losing consumer support entirely.
Source: SCMP
