The hashtag "Nike promotional video licking table tennis paddle" garners over 81 million views on Sina Weibo on July 23, 2024. Photo: Sina Weibo

Nike launched new advertisement campaign ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games named “Winning Isn’t for Everyone,” in which, a scene of a female player licking a table tennis paddle sparked heated discussions among Chinese netizens on Tuesday, with many expressing their disapproval of the ad.

The advertisement campaign was posted on July 19 and can be seen on Nike’s official Sina Weibo account. At around 6 seconds into the video of 90 seconds, a female player licks a table tennis paddle. 

The whole advertisement video includes several Olympians who will participate in the Paris Olympic Games this month, including LeBron James, according to media reports.

Nike’s official customer service said that they will provide feedback on the matter, but currently cannot give a definitive answer on the issue, according to media reports.

The hashtag “Nike promotional video licking table tennis paddle” has already garnered 81 million views on Sina Weibo, with some netizens expressing confusion and suggesting that kissing the paddle would have been a more appropriate gesture to show love for table tennis. While some netizens stating that the interpretation as portrayed is overly exaggerated.

“What’s the purpose of making this action? It’s disrespectful, incomprehensible and unacceptable,” one netizen wrote.
 
“There are so many ways to express love for something, such as touching it with your hands, pressing it against your forehead, or even kissing it like a tennis racket,” one netizen wrote.
 
“I don’t understand the significance of licking a table tennis paddle. If you want to show your love for this sport, you can simply kiss the paddle,” another netizen echoed the opinion. 
 
There are also dissenting opinions. “Only people with dirty thoughts would think it’s a bad action. Licking paddle obviously was to raise their fighting spirit and provoke the competitor,” one netizen commented. 

This is not the first time that brand ads triggered controversy among Chinese netizens. In 2021, carmaker Mercedes-Benz was embroiled in controversy over an advertisement featuring a model with “squinting eyes”.

Global Times