BEIJING (AFP): A Chinese company said Monday it had "severely punished" multiple executives after being rebuked by authorities over an advert joking about infidelity, a demonstration of official sensitivity around declining marriage rates and shifting social mores.
China is facing a demographic crisis after its birth rate halved over the past decade, and in response, authorities have heavily promoted traditional family structures.
"My mother has two 'husbands', one is my dad, the other is seen twice a year," read a Friday post by consumer electronics firm OPPO on social media platform Weibo.
The second "husband" seemingly referred to the woman's favourite celebrity.
Swiftly removed, the advert was part of a campaign aiming to show a more diverse image of modern mothers, including those who enjoy "celebrity chasing", the company said in a statement on Friday.
But taking the post down was not enough to stop a swell of official criticism over the weekend.
"Two husbands are not funny at all," a provincial propaganda department said in a statement Sunday.
Officials from eastern Zhejiang province warned brands against riling up people's emotions to win customers, despite a temptation to appeal to younger buyers.
"Lacking boundaries will lead to mistaking offence for creativity," the statement said.
Trade group China Advertising Association also chided brands for crossing moral boundaries on Sunday, local media reported.
On Monday, OPPO said it had "severely punished" a senior vice president and other marketing managers for "ignoring the bottom line of mainstream societal values".
The public condemnation comes as marriage rates in China continue to flag, a challenge to Beijing's policy priority of building a "childbirth-friendly society".
China recorded 1.7 million marriages in the first three months of this year, data from the civil affairs ministry showed Saturday, down 6.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2025.
But while officials claimed the advert was offensive to mothers and children, some social media users did not understand the fuss.
"I'm dying laughing," read a top-liked Weibo post.
"Only now did OPPO discover most of their customers' phones were actually bought by their husbands or boyfriends," read another comment. -- AFP
