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Chinese netizens are upset about Balenciaga's latest design for limited Chinese New Year souvenirs, calling it a "humiliation towards Chinese culture and cheating Chinese people out of their money."

Recently Balenciaga has released some limited-edition items on its flagship store, featuring ox patterns, given the imminent celebration of the Chinese zodiac for the incoming year of ox.

Staff at a Balenciaga store in Shanghai told the Global Times the exclusive pieces are popular among consumers and many are running out of sizes.

"The launching is small in number and will not be restocked once sold out. The special launch reflects all that is good about the year of ox," the sales person said.

In its campaign advertisement released on WeChat, the brand has designed a puzzle game for users to switch and match the newly launched items and some Spring Festival elements. However the game and the items have been labeled "tasteless" or even "insulting of Chinese culture" by many netizens while some are saying they're "simply ugly."

One of its campaign hoodies, which come in white with a simple cartoon bull and priced at 7,200 ($1,110) yuan is seen by many Chinese as offensive and showing a shallow understating of Chinese culture.

"You could get a Uniqlo T-shirt with a more sincere design with 99 yuan," commented a Chinese netizen.

"Is there any misunderstanding of Chinese culture?" said another.

Other items also featured simple borrow and use of Chinese element without much digestion. For example, a wool sweater priced at 9,200 yuan feathered a simple combination of Chinese character of and the logo of the brand is seen by many as simply ugly.

"I figure they have run out of idea and inspiration. Seems it is a rushed design without much think on the Chinese culture," comment a Chinese Internet user.

Some netizens suspects it's a marketing strategy for the luxury brand to go low so as to attract attention among a frenzy of launching limited version by westerns brands to celebrate Chinese New Year.

"They did it deliberately, trying to look cheap to gain attention. I don't want to look at it," commented one netizen.

"They think they can easily coax Chinese with simple Chinese characters," commented another netizen.

In August, the brands' Chinese Valentine Day handbag campaign has also drawn widespread scorn in China, being labeled as a tasteless insult.