BEIJING (Bloomberg): The official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party warned that global celebrities risk losing their commercial appeal in the country if they offend local audiences, as widening backlash against French football star Kylian Mbappé puts his brand partnerships under pressure.
Mbappé quickly apologized Tuesday for comments perceived as insulting Mao Zedong, but criticism continued to spread across Chinese social media. Two major mainland consumer brands have severed ties with him, Chinese state television has blocked his matches and some international sponsors have removed posts featuring the athlete.
"Once a line is crossed or the public is offended, all the glamour will quickly dissipate, and one may even face backlash,” Wednesday’s commentary in the People’s Daily said. "Learning to respect different countries and cultural backgrounds is an essential lesson.”
Mbappé’s remarks were made in an interview in which he was asked to react to an internet meme of himself that appeared to depict Mao, modern China’s founding father. In his apology, he called the comments "ill-judged.” He plays as a forward for Real Madrid, and LaLiga also apologized for the offense caused to Chinese fans.
The controversy underscores a longstanding risk for global companies and celebrities operating in China, where online anger over perceived political or cultural slights can quickly spill into commercial relationships. Companies including LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE and Lululelmon Athletica Inc. have both seen their business in China impacted this year after perceived slights.
"The speed of the apologies from Mbappé and LaLiga reflects an understanding that this was not a controversy they could afford to let run its course,” said Sharon Adesola David, a consultant at S&M Agency. "Businesses cannot treat China simply as a market of consumers and revenue. They need to understand the historical and political context in which consumers engage with their brands.”
‘Damage Control’
Backlash seemed to continue online even after Mbappé’s apology. "Not everything can be resolved with an apology; some things are simply unforgivable,” one user wrote Tuesday night on Weibo. On Wednesday, another called his response "damage control, not genuine remorse.”
China has a growing football fan base despite failing to qualify for the World Cup for more than two decades. The sport is the country’s second most popular, behind only basketball, Ampere Analysis has said. During this year’s tournament in North America, more than 200 million viewers watched via CCTV’s livestreaming platforms by the end of the group stage alone, state media reported.
That popularity has made foreign football stars valuable marketing assets for brands seeking to reach Chinese consumers. But it also leaves them exposed when those players run afoul of local sentiment. Earlier Chinese media reports said Dior had deleted some posts featuring Mbappé, a long-standing global ambassador.
Swiss sportswear brand On Holding AG removed posts related to him from its Chinese social media account, and didn’t respond to a request for comment on its recently-signed 10-year partnership with the player.
The NBA spent years rebuilding in China after a 2019 social media post supporting Hong Kong protesters by Daryl Morey, then general manager of the Houston Rockets. Hennes & Mauritz AB and Nike Inc. have also faced consumer boycotts over comments on Xinjiang.
More recently LVMH’s Louis Vuitton saw China sales slump after winning a trademark dispute against local company Molly Tea, drawing criticism from consumers who saw the luxury giant’s action against a much smaller local business as unfair.
Shares of mainland firms Eastroc Beverage Group Co. and China Mengniu Dairy Co. were flat mid-Wednesday after they cut sponsorship ties with Mbappé. The companies were justified in doing so on both principle and commercial grounds, the People’s Daily said.
For Chinese companies, the immediate damage may prove manageable if they respond quickly. Mengniu’s sales recovery is unlikely to be derailed by negative public sentiment surrounding Mbappé given the company’s swift move to end its sponsorship ties, wrote Bloomberg Intelligence consumer analyst Elaine Lai.
Still, she added, the misstep "highlights the risks of depending on expensive sponsorships to promote the brand.” -- ©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
