Chinese Culture Can Be A Hurdle for Advertisers

Advertising in China is progressing rapidly.  Companies are trying to break away from standard advertising tactics and are starting to use more creativity in their ad campaigns.  However, sometimes that creativity can backfire.  Recently, KFC suffered a blow to its brand image in China due to some of its advertising.  KFC caught heat from some Chinese consumers for a new commercial depicting historical Taoist leader, Fu Qing Zhu, grasping a KFC chicken sandwich and proclaiming it to be a masterpiece.  The scene in the commercial is based on the Chinese movie, Seven Swords.

Some of the anger is due to the fact that the character portrayed in the commercial is considered a national hero by many people in China.  He defended ethnic groups during an invasion of central China during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.  Also most Taoists are vegetarians and believe killing animals is wrong, so claiming a chicken sandwich to be a masterpiece is off the mark. Although many Taoist and Chinese are angry with the portrayal of Fu, some Chinese are praising KFC for their creativity and citing the fact that the ad is fresh and appeals to the youth of China, while still reminding them of China’s history. 

This is not the first time a foreign company’s advertisement has caused a stir in China.  In 2004, China banned a Nike commercial where LeBron James battles a serious of villains representing “Hype,” “Temptation,” “Haters,” “Complacency,” and “Self-doubt” (watch it here).  The advertisement violates regulations that mandate that all advertisements in China should uphold national dignity and interest with respect for the motherland’s culture.

The controversy once again brings up the discussion about what changes China has to be willing to accept in return for development.  Many people fear that as China develops, it will start to lose some of its cultural identity.