A few days ago, the luxury car brand Mercedes-Benz attracted public attention because of the use of "squinting eyes" makeup image in advertisements.
On December 25, 2021, Mercedes-Benz used "squinting" model makeup in the new generation CLS four-door coupe advertisement promoted by WeChat Circle of Friends, which caused a large number of netizens to be dissatisfied.
Caijing Auto's inquiry found that Mercedes-Benz's video advertisement promoting CLS models was published on its official Weibo account on the same day (December 25, 2021). In the video, Mercedes-Benz uses two model partners, a man and a woman, to promote the new car. Among them, female models use "squinting" makeup, and in advertising, they are basically based on the mid-shot or full-body shot of the half-body. "Squinting" is often seen as a stereotype that discriminates against and vilifies Chinese and Asians.
Caijing Auto contacted Mercedes-Benz insiders for communication and confirmation on related matters, but did not receive a reply as of press time.
Defying the wind "crime" was "fiercely criticized"
Mercedes-Benz was pushed to the center of public opinion this time, all because of the suspicion of "deliberate" and "reverse marketing".
Deliberately forming a "squinting" and "hanging eye" expression effect by pulling the corner of the eye upwards is currently an internationally recognized discriminatory action against Asians. Recently, the three squirrels of the FMCG brand have been on the hot search for the use of "squinting" model makeup, which has been questioned by netizens to "scandalize the Chinese" and cater to the stereotypes of Westerners; the character in another animation film "Lion Boy" has adopted a "squinting" shape, which has also triggered the resistance of public opinion. Some netizens believe that in this context, Mercedes-Benz still chooses to push advertisements for "squinting" model makeup, and there is a suspicion of "top-wind crime" or even "reverse marketing".
Some netizens said: "We are not criticizing the appearance of the model, but criticizing this deliberate "high-class face" hanging makeup, criticizing this deliberate catering to the Stereotypical Definition of East Asians in the West." Therefore, Mercedes-Benz to the model makeup is not very appropriate, these days the male lion teenager to three squirrels so fierce, I do not believe Mercedes-Benz is not intentional! ”
Some netizens said: "It's not that people with squinting eyes are not good-looking, it is that the advertisement deliberately guides this side to have a problem, which really represents the appearance of Chinese?" How many people around you look like this? Why exaggerate this image, and say what high-grade beauty, how, other looks are not advanced? ”
In the face of the continued fermentation of controversy, Mercedes-Benz Weibo quietly removed the video advertisement, leaving only a "new generation CLS four-door coupe" advertising video released on December 27 without a model.
As of January 4, 2022, the topic of "Mercedes-Benz Advertising Model Makeup Controversy" has been read 260 million times and discussed on social platforms has reached 16,000.
After many communications, the finance network car learned that the Mercedes-Benz marketing department is responsible for leading the communication planning and planning plan, the market advertising company is responsible for the review, back adjustment and supplier proposal of the artist, the advertising company is responsible for the docking implementation, and the Mercedes-Benz marketing department is responsible for the final review of the line and scheduling.
Regarding the above-mentioned advertising review and delivery process, Caijing Auto contacted Mercedes-Benz insiders to confirm and understand, as of press time, there was no response.
Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University, believes that in Western culture, there is indeed a conceptual problem about the image of East Asians, which has also caused dissatisfaction in East Asian communities in Western society. The image we call "squinting" today is actually a set of stereotypes of East Asians in the West. In Western comics, plays, movies, and other mass cultural products, East Asians, especially women, are often portrayed as having high cheekbones, long mouths, and squinting eyes. This is, of course, the appearance of some East Asian women, but the crux of the matter is that the West believes that only such an image represents East Asian women. Since the 20th century, the appearance of these images has often been accompanied by the appearance of the image of East Asian women in the need to represent the image of East Asian women. East Asian women are fixed under such an image, and those cultural products must deliberately use some kind of "folk" atmosphere from East Asia to strengthen the "representation" of these images, so as to form a solidified form, so that people can see at a glance that this is the Western way of looking at East Asian women, which inevitably contains prejudice and rigidity.
Recently, the People's Daily commented on the controversy of the "squinting eyes" of the character modeling, saying that from the perspective of products, it is necessary to fully respect the audience in order to win the market. Enterprises must carefully consider the mainstream culture, mass aesthetics and audience mentality, without such audience awareness, light is a joke, heavy is counterproductive, completely "overturned". From an aesthetic point of view, we should cultivate healthy aesthetic taste and cultivate strong aesthetic self-confidence. Although aesthetic preferences are individual freedom, they should follow a healthy mass aesthetic and an upward mainstream aesthetic to build self-confidence from the inside out. Only by improving the right to define what is beauty and what is fashionable can we get out of the situation of being taken by Western aesthetic culture and even invaded by it. From the perspective of communication, we should adhere to the effect orientation and avoid "buttoning the hat". Squinting has become a special topic setting, we should be vigilant against the problem of insulting China, we should also be vigilant against using the squinting issue to confuse domestic public opinion, and even force the selection of sides to create a split for the topic of squinting, respect for aesthetic pluralism is the first layer, vigilance against confrontation and division is the second layer, and call for rational treatment is the highest level.
Marketing "rollover" to leave "case bottom"
Mercedes-Benz is not the first time it has "flipped" in advertising.
In December 2020, for promoting the image of basketball star Alan Iverson in the promotion of the 1.33T engine, Iverson's exclusive brokerage manager in China, Makushi Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., entrusted a law firm to send a letter to it, demanding that Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd. and its affiliates stop the infringement, and publicly apologize and compensate for losses.
According to the lawyer's letter, Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd. published an advertisement for automotive products through multiple social platforms on December 17 with the theme of "height is not the only criterion for basketball", which used Alan Iverson's name and portrait in a "distorted and alludential way" and made a "derogatory evaluation" of Iverson's physical characteristics.
However, Makushi Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. did not authorize Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd. to use Iverson's name and likeness in any commercial advertisement, and the latter's use of his name and portrait "in a distorted and innuendo manner" without iverson's own permission and prior authorization from the brokerage manager constitutes an infringement of Iverson's right to name and portrait. In addition, Mercedes-Benz also rendered its own products in the advertisement by "emphasizing Iverson's physical appearance and background characteristics", infringing Iverson's right to reputation.
Subsequently, Mercedes-Benz officially issued a statement saying that it had stopped the dissemination of the relevant video and apologized to Iverson. The Company has been in direct contact with Iverson's licensing team, expressed its apologies, and has received the understanding of Iverson and its licensing team. The company also said it will review existing creative expressions and process specifications and "reflect on how to take each step more solidly along the way."
Since 2015, China has been mercedes-benz's largest single market in the world, contributing about 36% of the market share. According to the data, in the third quarter of 2021, the cumulative global sales of the Mercedes-Benz brand were 613,800 units, an increase of 3.9% year-on-year; the cumulative sales volume in the first nine months was 1.5489 million units, down 10.2% year-on-year. Among them, the sales volume in the Chinese market was 223,600 units, an increase of 23.4% year-on-year, and the cumulative sales volume in China in the first nine months was 569,700 units, an increase of 8.3% year-on-year, which became an important support for Mercedes-Benz's performance. As Mercedes-Benz announces its transformation from "electric first" to "all-electric", the Chinese market remains Mercedes-Benz's most critical growth driver.
However, while relying on the Chinese market to contribute revenue and profits, Mercedes-Benz has not performed well on quality issues. According to the statistics of China Economic Network, in 2021, this German luxury brand recalled a total of 2.78 million passenger cars in 17 batches, ranking first in the frequency and number of recalls among single brands. Nowadays, the Mercedes-Benz brand has attracted public controversy due to marketing publicity suspected of "discrimination and vilification of the Chinese people", which has adversely affected the brand's reputation.
In recent years, new local car-making forces, traditional independent car companies and Tesla have competed to enter the high-end electric vehicle market, which has eroded the market share of some Mercedes-Benz brands. According to the statistics of the Association of Automobile Associations, in November 2021, Tesla Model Y and Ideal ONE, two models from new forces, ranked in the top two in high-end SUV sales, and the Nippon ES6 ranked eighth, and maintained a high-speed growth trend, while the two main models of Mercedes-Benz GLC and GLB have shown a year-on-year decline.
An auto industry analyst said that the rise of the local new energy automobile industry and the improvement of national self-confidence have made domestic consumers no longer "addicted" to overseas brands and instead chase domestic products. In the face of new industry changes and new consumer groups, Mercedes-Benz not only needs to make sufficient efforts in terms of product strength and adapt to market demand, but also should give respect to local consumers in brand marketing and communication links. Enterprises should establish user awareness, understand and respect the user's cultural environment and historical feelings, and carefully consider and adjust the marketing content in a timely manner in order to win the trust of consumers and maintain a positive brand effect.