Recently, the Blue Moon elevator poster advertisement for Mother’s Day sparked heated discussions among netizens due to phrases like “Mom, you go first” and “Make laundry easier, more effortless, and worry-free for Mom,” which were criticized for creating a strong stereotypical image of mothers being solely responsible for household chores.
In response to the controversy surrounding the Mother’s Day advertisement and the actions that will be taken subsequently, CHAILEEDO promptly contacted the customer service hotline of Blue Moon nationwide. The representative responded, saying, “The intention behind our advertisement was to express gratitude to mothers. We did not anticipate that it would be misunderstood in this way. We will record the relevant issues and report them to the appropriate department.”
So, what exactly happened here?
Criticism of “Strong Stereotypical Impression”: Blue Moon Advertisement Sparks Controversy
Let’s review the sequence of events.
Recently, many netizens took to platforms like Weibo and Xiaohongshu to express their dissatisfaction with the Mother’s Day poster advertisement by Blue Moon. Some netizens stated that laundry is not exclusively a mother’s responsibility, and the advertisement’s language explicitly implies that laundry is solely the mother’s duty. Others commented, “In this day and age, why use phrases like ‘Mom, you go first with the laundry detergent’? Why does housework have to be done by mothers, and why choose Mother’s Day to write such a slogan?”
According to posts shared by netizens, the disputed advertisement was a promotion for Blue Moon’s product, the “Supreme Laundry Detergent,” featured in elevator ads as a prelude to Mr. Dong’s live broadcast on May 11.
Furthermore, this campaign aligns with the timing of a popular holiday to amplify the brand’s visibility. It was mentioned that, “On this year’s Mother’s Day, the ‘Extraordinary Future Laundry Technology’ collaborated with Blue Moon to launch a co-branded gift box. Additionally, on the eve of Mother’s Day, a special live streaming event was held, featuring the exclusive ‘Supreme Gift,’ a limited edition gift dedicated to mothers.” The elevator advertisement in question serves as a promotional activity leading up to Mother’s Day for Blue Moon.
From the perspective of the discussions among netizens, the controversy surrounding this advertisement arises from Blue Moon’s “Supreme Laundry Detergent” packaging, which features the phrase “Mom, you go first.” At the same time, the advertisement claims that using their future laundry technology will “make laundry easier, more effortless, and worry-free for Mom.” Moreover, the poster predominantly depicts silhouettes of women doing household chores, reinforcing a strong stereotypical impression.
CHAILEEDO noted that on the evening of May 5, Blue Moon’s customer service responded on the Xiaohongshu social platform, explaining, “We apologize for the misunderstanding. The original intention of the advertisement copy was to express gratitude to mothers, and we did not anticipate this kind of misunderstanding. On this beautiful holiday, we hope to show our gratitude to every mother and every family by offering our high-tech ‘Supreme’ product. Perhaps our gratitude was not adequately conveyed.”
It is worth mentioning that as of the time of writing, on Blue Moon’s official flagship store on Douyin (a Chinese video-sharing platform), there are still videos claiming “Mom, you go first. A special gift for a special her” and “Laundry essentials that warm a mother’s heart.”
“Brands should avoid using promotional methods that may cause gender bias or social controversy during holiday marketing.”
As the leader in the daily chemical industry, Blue Moon can be regarded as the pioneer of domestic laundry detergent and has maintained a leading position in the market for many years in segments such as laundry detergent and hand soap. So why did Blue Moon’s advertisement “backfire” this time?
“On a holiday like Mother’s Day, using the copy ‘Mom, you go first’ as the slogan, the intention of the advertising creator should not have been intentional wrongdoing,” said Lu Shengzhen, a senior brand marketer. He explained that this mainly stems from a lack of definition by the advertising creator regarding the boundaries between traditional Chinese filial piety culture and the new ethical categories formed among family members in the modern economic environment. This lack of definition led to a potential collision in the positioning of relationships among family members in the minds of consumers during the communication process.
“This advertisement is the point of collision, reflecting a collective consideration of family member relationships and an subconscious resistance to male-dominated culture in the new socio-economic category,” he further pointed out.
Lin Yue, Chief Analyst at Ling Yan Consulting, also admitted, “Blue Moon’s Mother’s Day advertisement indeed made viewers uncomfortable. It was a failure in marketing and copy design, including the process and mechanism of content approval, which seems to have been ‘missing a beat.’ In current marketing, it is important not to excessively seek attention-grabbing tactics, and copy and graphic design need to find points of empathy and resonance. This output clearly did not consider the issue from the perspective of the audience.”
With the rise of the female economy and the increasing influence of women’s voices, Mother’s Day, Women’s Day, and other female-specific holidays have already become important marketing occasions for businesses. Many businesses have leveraged women’s issues to generate objective traffic for their brands and products. However, users’ demands for advertising content have also become higher and more sensitive. In the past, many brands have faced controversy and opposition due to their marketing during these holidays.
In response, some industry insiders openly stated, “When conducting holiday marketing, companies and brands must not have a mentality of being clever or tricky. They should avoid using promotional methods that may cause gender bias or social controversy. Especially for brands targeting the general public, it is crucial to respect and understand different consumer groups in their marketing and promotion.”
“Compared to other categories, it is more difficult for daily chemical brands to create a gifting mentality, primarily due to their low average unit price,” pointed out a blunt industry professional. “Among all daily chemical products, home cleaning is the most challenging to present as a gift because it is deeply associated with laborious and tiring work. While hair care products can somewhat cater to the ‘self-indulgence mentality,’ home cleaning can only be approached from the angle of ‘making the recipient’s work easier’ when crafting copy.”
Blue Moon, the leading brand in the laundry detergent market, has experienced three consecutive declines in net profit
Founded in 1992 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2020, Blue Moon has expanded its product portfolio beyond hand and laundry detergents to various aspects of home cleaning, becoming a leading provider of household cleaning solutions in China.
According to the 2023 annual sales statistics in the Chinese market, Blue Moon’s laundry detergent has maintained the top market share for 15 consecutive years (2009-2023), while its hand soap has held the top position for 12 consecutive years (2012-2023).
However, in terms of financial performance, Blue Moon’s publicly available financial reports for 2023 revealed the company’s worst performance in three years. The reports showed that Blue Moon achieved approximately HKD 7.324 billion in revenue in 2023, a 7.8% year-on-year decrease, and recorded a net profit of approximately HKD 325 million, a 46.8% year-on-year decline.
Blue Moon attributed the decline primarily to increased sales and promotional expenses, including investments in various sales channels, multimedia, omnichannel marketing, and consumer education to enhance the coverage of sales, distribution channels, and new products.
According to the financial reports, Blue Moon’s sales expenses in 2023 amounted to HKD 3.244 billion, a 22.38% increase compared to HKD 2.651 billion in 2022. Additionally, promotional expenses rose by 118.64% to HKD 1.29 billion. This indicates the significant marketing and promotional efforts made by Blue Moon.
However, the results of the high investment in marketing did not meet expectations. Apart from delivering the company’s worst performance in three years, Blue Moon experienced a decline in revenue across its three major categories: clothing care, personal care, and home care. These categories saw year-on-year declines of 4.7%, 27.8%, and 25.8%, respectively.
It is worth noting that Blue Moon’s net profit has been declining for three consecutive years. From 2021 to 2023, the company’s net profit attributable to shareholders was HKD 1.014 billion, HKD 611 million, and HKD 325 million, representing year-on-year declines of 22.53%, 39.73%, and 46.79%, respectively.
Behind the declining net profit over the years is the increasingly fierce competition in the daily chemical industry. Blue Moon not only competes with multinational companies like Procter & Gamble and Unilever but also faces competition from emerging domestic brands like Liby and Nice. Additionally, new laundry products such as laundry pods have gained acceptance among consumers, while Blue Moon missed out on this trend.
Furthermore, the company faces strong competitors in the lower-tier markets. According to consumer insights reports on household cleaning and paper products in lower-tier markets published by JD Supermarket, popular brands in these markets include Liby and Diao Pai.
In the current rapidly changing consumer and marketing environment, Blue Moon undoubtedly needs a better understanding of social sentiment and should focus more on the market and consumers to adapt and thrive.
