Nike ad featuring athlete licking table tennis paddle sparks outrage in China

Nike has found itself in hot water after its latest Olympics campaign featuring a Chinese athlete licking her table tennis paddle, ignited widespread outrage online and renewed calls for a boycott of Nike products across China.

Don't miss: Nike reminds the world there's nothing wrong with wanting to win

The campaign, titled "Winning isn’t for everyone," showcases a variety of athletes, including pole vaulters, basketball players, and footballers. Narrated by Willem Dafoe, the campaign aims to captivate audiences with appearances by prominent figures such as Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zheng Qinwen, Serena Williams, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.

However, the inclusion of a close-up shot of a Chinese athlete licking her table tennis paddle has been perceived as humiliating and disrespectful, sparking fury among Chinese netizens.

An Instagram user described the ad as "cringe," while a Weibo commenter remarked, "Today they film an Asian licking a paddle, tomorrow they film an Asian licking the floor, next they'll film an Asian licking the toilet. This seems to be the American way of advertising," a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw.

Meanwhile, media intelligence firm CARMA observed over 3,000 mentions on social media since Nike’s advert came out on 19 July, with the majority of mentions coming from Weibo. Of these mentions, 62% were negative, and 18% were positive.

Most netizens found the advert disgusting, particularly due to the angle at which it was shot. Many noted that while they have seen athletes kissing the paddle as a form of self-encouragement before a match, they were puzzled by the focus on an athlete licking the edge of the paddle, as they had never seen such an act in any past table tennis tournament, said Charles Cheung, HK GM, Carma. 

Some even went as far as to say that the advert vilified Chinese athletes and reignited discussions about the Xinjiang cotton controversy, bolstering their support for Chinese brands, Cheung added.

On the other hand, several netizens believed most people were being too sensitive and that it might simply be an aesthetic choice for the shot.

In response, Nike’s official customer service told Global Times that it will provide feedback on the matter, but it cannot give a definitive answer on the issue for now.

The controversy has also revived memories of Nike's previous stance on Asian issues. In 2021, Nike, H&M among other brands, expressed concerns over alleged forced labour in the Xinjiang region of China, citing worries about the treatment of workers.

Although the Chinese government did not directly address these claims, it reiterated that workers in Xinjiang are treated fairly and transparently. The backlash from this statement led to an international boycott of Nike, causing a 5% drop in their stock prices in March 2021.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Nike for a statement.

Related Articles:

Nike becomes official apparel partner for China's League of Legends Pro League
Nike partners Fortnite to launch in-game Jordan sneakers