Durex ads ‘more frightening than pornography’, China’s online watchdog says after bubble tea brand Heytea joins innuendo-filled campaign
- Authorities vow to crack down on condom maker’s ‘vulgar’ promotions with bubble tea brand Heytea, which contain innuendo
- Latest campaigns could ‘ruin Chinese’, National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications says
Chinese censors have accused condom manufacturer Durex of using “soft pornography” to promote its products on social media and vowed to step up their crackdown on vulgar content online.
In a country where openly talking about sex is still considered taboo, the condom brand has established a name for itself among young people with its adverts loaded with humour and innuendo.
However, a recent joint social media campaign with Chinese bubble tea brand Heytea caused upset with its use of suggestive images and crude taglines.
Against a picture of a white, creamy drop coming out of a cup of bubble tea was the line: “Tonight, not a drop left”, followed by the question: “Do you remember our second date? I said to you, ‘Your first bite is the most precious’.”
Heytea, which makes a popular bubble tea with a creamy cheese topping, responded with: “I remember the date. We agreed from that day on, my cheese will always be on your lips.”
The National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications said in an article on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, that crude advertising content was “more frightening than pornography” as it was unregulated, adding that Durex’s latest adverts could “ruin the Chinese”.
