Dove apologizes for controversial ad in China

Dove, a chocolate brand of United States-based Mars Inc, issued a public apology on Tuesday after a short video advertisement sparked widespread outrage in China for appearing to endorse infidelity and undermine relationship values.

The controversial clip, posted around this year's Qixi Festival on Aug 19 — China's equivalent of Valentine's Day — featured a protagonist saying, "I asked my boyfriend for a long time for a Dove colorful gift box, but he never bought it for me. Today, while my boyfriend is away, I shared it with my romantic interest."

In a screenshot shared online, a customer service representative told a complaining customer that the video was a "personal creation and does not represent the brand's stance", adding that "if you don't like it, you can scroll away."

In an apology posted on its official Weibo account, the company said the video was created and published by a third-party store operations team and failed to go through the company's proper content review process.

It admitted that the advertisement copy had "obvious flaws in its expression and value orientation" and was inconsistent with the brand's philosophy of "sincerity, warmth and respect".

It also acknowledged that the customer service team's initial response was inappropriate and said it had thoroughly reviewed the matter.

The company said it has removed the video, strengthened training for relevant personnel, enhanced oversight of its cooperation with third-party teams, and strictly implemented its content review mechanism.