Heng Yuan Xiang Calls for Tolerance toward its Ad

Heng Yuan Xiang Group, one of China's leading knitwear producers, has called on the public to be more tolerant towards its 2009 ad version which makes anthropopathic use of 12 Chinese zodiac animals in helping promote its brand and greet the lunar new year to its customers.

The company's call came when unexpected and mixed responses emerged recently over its new video-versioned ad that rent a group of people in re-interpreting the best wishes the Chinese zodiac animals could convey. A major part of the online responses, however, sees Heng Yuan Xiang's work as embarrassingly annoying and something that makes people feel a chill.

We hope that the audience can be more patient and tolerant toward our ad, Guo Jianchen, manager of the company's media liaison office, says after his company came under spotlight ever since it launched its one minute long new advertisement on Jan. 25, the eve of the Chinese lunar New Year of Ox.

Heng Yuan Xiang put forward a similar ad in February, 2008, to greet the then Chinese lunar New Year, which was unfortunately lashed back by Netizens as intolerable and the worst ad ever seen. The company was forced to withdraw that flash one week later.

This year, the new ad has again triggered another round of heated debates online. Many viewers described the ad as annoying and something that would drive people crazy. Some even called for a boycott against Heng Yuan Xiang's products.

However, people who are for the ad say it well promotes Chinese traditional culture and at least tells young people what the twelve Chinese zodiac animals are.

Yuan Fang, a researcher in Communication University of China, also says the ad is not so bad in terms of its commercial values since people have all remembered the brand, which is the aim of any ad. Others agree with the researcher, saying by launching the ad on television and provoking so much debate, though which might not be their original intention, it has anyhow successfully promoted the company's products.

Despite such controversies, Guo Jianchen reaffirmed that there is no problem with his company's ad theme and content. His company will not give up its long term strategy of using 12 Chinese zodiac animals in advertising its products.

The sales volume of Heng Yuan Xiang for the year of 2007 amounted to 400 million yuan. Heng Yuan Xiang has over 6,000 outlets and franchised stores around the country.

Source: CRIEnglish