After Women Cry Foul, an IKEA Ad is Yanked

Posted on by Patty Odell

IKEA is in hot water.

It pulled an ad in China after it was called sexist by some viewers. The 30-second spot shows a father, mother and grown daughter at the dinner table when the mother threatens to disown her unmarried daughter. “If you don’t bring home a boyfriend next time, then don’t call me Mom!” she shouts.

Ikea ad
A screen shot from the maligned IKEA TV ad.

Within seconds, a young man appears at the door carrying flowers. The delighted parents get out the IKEA dinnerware and a nice meal for the new boyfriend.

Critics were quick to call the ad sexist and discriminating against single women. IKEA issued an apology on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, writing that it “gave the wrong impression.”

“This TV ad tried to show how IKEA can help customers easily and affordably convert a typical living room into a place for celebration. The purpose was to encourage customers to celebrate moments in everyday life,” the statement said.

The statement quickly drew more than 1,500 comments where users called the ad “disgusting” and “old-fashioned” with some calling for a boycott of IKEA products.

The ad was widely panned for its insensitivity toward Chinese women who deal with intense societal pressure to get married by a certain age, Fortune said.

Watch the ad:

Other brands have also come under fire for misjudgments in their marketing.

For example, In July, Audi was blasted, also in China, for an ad that compared buying a second-hand car to checking out a bride-to-be.

Related articles:

Dove, Stick Up for Yourself

Why Didn’t Adidas Learn from Past Gaffes

More

Related Posts

Chief Marketer Videos

by Chief Marketer Staff

In our latest Marketers on Fire LinkedIn Live, Anywhere Real Estate CMO Esther-Mireya Tejeda discusses consumer targeting strategies, the evolution of the CMO role and advice for aspiring C-suite marketers.

	
        

Call for entries now open

Pro
Awards 2023

Click here to view the 2023 Winners
	
        

2023 LIST ANNOUNCED

CM 200

 

Click here to view the 2023 winners!