Dior: wrong way in handling a social media crisis
Images of a makeup campaign released on Dior’s official website in April 2023 was accused featuring allegedly abusive content. In this set of ad images, we can see two different styles, one is photographed by white models with bright color palette. Models reveal full faces, and images are paired with flower elements. The other is shot by Asian model in a darker tone, with the model covering her eyes and making discriminatory gestures. The middle finger is raised, and the corner of the eye is tugged with the other hand, creating a so-called “slant eye”.
This gesture has long been considered insulting and mocking to Asians, suggesting cultural stereotypes and prejudices. Against the backdrop of anti-Asian hatred and violence worldwide, this campaign released by Dior, a major globally recognized brand, is all the more ignorant and malicious.
The image quickly sparked an outcry on Chinese social media, with numerous netizens accusing Dior of racism and discrimination against Asians.
I think this crisis is not just a fault of the brand being disrespectful and insensitive to other cultures, it’s completely avoidable. As it’s not the first time Dior has been embroiled in controversy in China, which at the same time is one of its biggest markets.
A photo taken by a Chinese fashion photographer for the brand in 2021 has already sparked mass outrage after some netizens said it perpetuated Western stereotypes of Asian faces. The photographer later apologized, and Dior said it “respects the sentiments of the Chinese people.”
In the face of overwhelming criticism from numerous media outlets, Dior still didn’t opt for a public apology this time around, instead quietly deleting the controversial photo from its social media accounts without any official explanation.
If this move was Dior’s PR maneuver, I think it was quite cowardly and a failure. Not only because there have been several previous mistakes, but also that the Chinese public has yet to see the luxury company learn from its previous mistakes to respect other cultures, we can no longer say that this was an unintentional mistake. As an intentional gesture, the eye-pulling clearly reflects subjective malice that offends and hurts the Asian community as a whole.
I believe that the netizens’ accusations against Dior are justified rather than oversensitive. If Dior really respects the Asian market, it should have learned from the first crisis to show respect instead of trying to handle the crisis with a cover-up and downplaying attitude over and over again. Dior’s approach clearly exacerbates the problem of cultural discrimination and will ultimately lead to an irreversible impact on its brand image and reputation.
