Burberry criticised for ‘creepy’ Chinese New Year campaign

Burberry’s latest campaign to celebrate Chinese New Year has fallen foul
with some customers, attracting a horde of criticism on social media.

Described as ‘creepy’ by Chinese news portal Jing Daily, others have
likened the images to Asian horror films.

Burberry follows in the unceremonious footsteps of Dolce & Gabbana, who
last year canceled a highly publicised runway show in Shanghai after its
advertising was deemed as racist and out of touch with consumer sentiment.

Brands are tone-deaf to local sentiment

Burberry appears to have negated the powerful voice of consumers, not
thinking in local terms in what might be deemed offensive or tone-deaf.

The images were released last week by the British luxury giant, and can be
seen on the brand’s Chinese website and social media. The title of the
campaign is Modern Tradition, featuring photographs by esteemed
photographer Ethan James Green, who shot well-known Chinese actresses Zhao
Wei and Zhou Dongyu alongside models, posing in some images as what would
appear a grim family portrait.

Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in the yearly calendar,
with Jing Daily referencing the campaign as “just another bad taste,
tone-deaf instance of Western luxury brands completely missing the point in
China.”

Burberry’s aim is to celebrate togetherness

Burberry stated the portraits portray images of togetherness, “gathering
the cross generations of family for a season celebration. Classic pieces
are revived with archive-print scarves, urban staples juxtaposed the iconic
trench coat.”

Chinese New Year is a big opportunity for brands and retailers. Just as the
west puts to rest Christmas and the December holiday season, China begins
with its preparations and shopping extravaganza over a period of several
weeks. According to marketing giant Criteo, Chinese shoppers purchasing
across several categories in preparation for the Lunar New Year will
account for a strong sales uplift in average daily sales across fashion (up
71 percent).

In 2018, overall retail sales leading up to the Lunar New Year reached 146
billion dollars, with uplifts in luxury goods and foreign fashion,
according to figures from ChannelAdvisor.

While Burberry’s aim was to show togetherness and family at a crucial time
of year, one user on Burberry’s Weibo page asked: “Am I the only one to say
pulling a long face does not go well with the Chinese New Year?”

“First Balenciaga, then Dolce & Gabbana, and now Burberry? Chinese New Year
is a time for family reunions, joy and luck. These people look like actors
in a horror movie,” commented a user in Channel New Asia.

But not all the reviews were negative, with some stating they were “sick”
of the traditional images of Happy New Year.

Shares in Burberry fell nearly five percent last week with analysts citing
a slower demand in China.

Photo credit: Ethan James Green, source Burberry website. Article
sources: Jing Daily, Channel New Asia