IKEA has said it will remove a television advertisement aired in China, after a negative response from internet users who say the clip is ‘sexist’.
The Swedish furniture giant said it was aware of the backlash on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, in which some say the 30-second commercial perpetuates negative stereotypes about aging single women.
The ad shows a mother telling her single daughter: ‘Don’t call me your mom if you cannot bring back a boyfriend’. The video can still be viewed across the internet including Weibo, Youtube and QQ.
The IKEA advert starts with the single daughter eating alone with her mother and father
The mum tells her daughter, ‘Don’t call me your mom if you cannot bring back a boyfriend’
The scene then immediately follows the young woman appearing at her parent’s door with a man claiming to be her boyfriend.
The parents’ attitude towards their daughter then changes drastically, as the mother and father quickly tidy up their home and place IKEA items on display
A caption reading, ‘Celebrate everyday easily,’ then appears on screen.
The daughter eating dinner with her family is portrayed as single at the beginning of the ad
The girl is shown bringing a man who claims to be her boyfriend to the family’s living room
Ikea, the home furnishings store is a crowd-puller in China, attracting thousands (file photo)
The daughter’s parents are delighted in the ad when she her boyfriend walks into their room
Many people online accused IKEA of supporting the traditionalist idea of ‘leftover women,’ a cultural view that single women over the age of 27 have little value or importance.
A weibo user posted, ‘I just want to ask IKEA, would they dare to show such an ad in their home country, Sweden?.
Ba Ge Zhuan Yong, a Weibo user with more than six million followers, posted online, ‘Whether having a romantic partner or not is one’s own business and does not need any interference from others, let alone an advertisement’.
The advert in China shows that the family are delighted the daughter has taken a man home
The advert ends with a caption ‘celebrate everyday easily’ with the couple sitting in the store
IKEA released a statement on Tuesday apologising for ‘giving the wrong perception.’ It said it was aware of the comments online and that it would change the advert.
‘IKEA encourages people to live different lifestyles, and this belief is reflected in our product design and home furnishing solutions,’
The statement read: ‘Gender equality is a fundamental part of the IKEA culture and values, which we share with everybody.’