Mbappé's Mao remark sparks Chinese brand exodus
Three Chinese brands drop Mbappé after he referred to Mao Zedong as a dictator.
By Sophie Costa ·
Mbappé is no longer appearing in advertisements for three major Chinese brands after he referred to Mao Zedong as a dictator. Dongpeng, Mengniu, and Milkground have all ended their agreements with the France and Real Madrid star, stating they oppose any words or actions that hurt national sentiment. The companies did not specify what prompted their decisions, but they released their statements after a clip showing Mbappé being interviewed ahead of going on the French online talk show 'The Bridge' circulated on X.
In the video, Mbappé is asked about his favorite meme of himself and replies that it was 'a video someone made of a guy .. I think he was a Chinese dictator.' The video then shows an altered image depicting Mbappé's face on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong. Mbappé issued an apology on Tuesday on his social media, saying his comment was ill-judged and that he now understands it hurts many people in China and Chinese communities around the world. He apologizes to everyone his words have upset, saying it was absolutely not his intention and that he has deep respect for the Chinese people and their history.
Social media platform RedNote also joined the criticism, saying in a separate statement that the company had a content partnership with Mbappé that ended on Dec. 31, 2024, and that it would 'remove related promotional materials.' It likewise expressed opposition to 'any conduct that hurts national sentiment.'
Mbappé has featured in advertising campaigns in China for products from electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In one commercial for Dongpeng, Mbappé delivers a slogan in Chinese; in an ad for Mengniu, he appears alongside Lionel Messi.
On Chinese social media, there were already several comments criticizing him.
The hashtags 'Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé' and 'Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé' topped Weibo's trending list. 'Football fans boycott Mbappé' was also trending, with some users expressing anger at his remarks or telling him not to come to China.
Source: ESPN
