Talk of the Town for the Wrong Reasons

Two luxury brands faced backlash recently for campaign ads that claim to be culturally ignorant and disrespectful. Although both, Dolce & Gabbana and Dior, have pulled the ads on all or parts of their media platforms, their public response has been less than apologetic or even understanding.

A Dolce & Gabbana not so funny video depicts a Chinese woman being taught to eat a pizza with chopsticks. The ad dropped in advance of a fashion show in Shanghai. The response was quick. Celebrities took to social media calling for a boycott. Chinese Brand Ambassador publicly resigned.  Parody’s went viral. E-commerce sites immediately pulled D&G products. The fashion show was canceled.

Although D&G looks like they are trying to manage the crisis, the blunders continue. Their public apology missed the mark with a ‘yes, but’ approach – “What happened today was very unfortunate not only for us but also for all the people who worked day and night to bring this event to life.” But who exactly worked on this campaign? Apparently not their Chinese brand ambassador.

While there have been claims from D&G of a social media hack following further apparent offensive comments from co-founder Stephano Gabbana’s Instagram account, there has not been a formal apology (i.e. a video from the founder) outside of statements on social media nor was the ad taken down from D&G Instagram account even days after the initial reaction from their Chinese consumers.

Dior faced similar criticism when their ad campaign for their latest collection, inspired by Escaramuzas – traditional women riders of Mexico, did not include Mexican women nor was it filmed in Mexico. Unlike D&G, Dior pulled the ads from all platforms, yet publicly denied it was due to backlash and even went so far as saying the backlash was unfounded. Actress Jennifer Lawrence who has been the spokesperson for Dior and was in the ad was quoted as saying the ad is celebrating the tradition through a “modern lens.” Does that modern lens then not visually include Mexican women? Could Dior not have included additional actresses with a diverse cultural background to this ad?

In both these examples, it’s the response that reveals how disconnected these companies are from their market, as well as how these brands lack organizational cultural competency. For marketers, research and data are crucial but it does not tell the whole story. That understanding was missing from the decision-making process of D&G and Dior.  Dior took an honored traditional Mexican attire to sell a product but missed the mark in respecting the social and cultural connection. D&G tried humor apparently in an ‘out-of-the-box’ marketing approach that failed yet it seems like they didn’t care when consumers felt insulted. Both created big talk but for all the wrong reasons.

Bronner, D. (2018, November 24). Why Dolce & Gabbana’s blunder cold be such a disaster. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/24/business/dolce-gabbana-china/index.html

Friedmann, V. and Wee, S. (2018, November 23). The crash and burn of Dolce & Gabbana. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/fashion/dolce-gabbana-china-disaster-backlash.html

Schallhorn, K. (2018, November 23). Dolce & Gabbana apologize for ‘racist’ ads, ask for forgiveness as fallout continues. Fox News. Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/dolce-gabanna-apologize-for-racist-ads-ask-for-forgiveness-as-fallout-continues

McCarthy, T. (2018, November 21). Dior calls Jennifer Lawrence campaign backlash “not at all justified.’ Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/dior-updates-jennifer-lawrence-ad-campaign-after-claims-of-cultural-appropriation

Fitzpatrick, H. (2018, November 15). Jennifer Lawrence and Dior face backlash, claims of cultural appropriation over new campaign. ABC News. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/jennifer-lawrence-dior-face-backlash-claims-cultural-appropriation/story?id=59217186