Controversial social ads raised concerns regarding sexually suggestive ads

The line between “playfully suggestive ads”, which has been successfully applied by the contraceptive brand Durex (China), and “sexual connotative ads”, is becoming blurred when it comes to China’s social media marketing. Late last week, Durex’s advertising campaign, partnering a popular beverage purveyor Heytea, sparked a huge debate on microblogging platform Weibo, by publishing an innuendo post featuring an image of cream-covered tea along with the tagline, “Tonight, not a single drop left”. Criticism flooded in with a multitude of comments expressing their uncomfortableness and disappointment at the way the brand attracts public attention. Furthermore, some marketing specialists are appealing for the launch of relevant legislative regulations with which to better confine suggestive and vulgar ads, from both images and copies.