Scantily clad 'Diana' draws ire
By Zhang Xuanchen and Lydia Chen |
September 3, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A CHINESE lingerie company is facing a backlash from England for a new ad campaign featuring a half-naked Diana doppelganger for one of its underwear brands that has the same name as the late Princess of Wales.
But the Guangdong Province-based underwear company, Jealousy International, yesterday told Shanghai Daily that the hurt feelings of British people were a result of misunderstanding.
The promotion, using a lingerie-clad Western woman who looks like Princess Diana, splashed across many billboards in Guangdong's Shenzhen City, including a spot at the city's airport.
The model, who has chestnut hair just like the princess's and wears a silver crown and a necklace, is shown in a dark-blue bra and panties, holding a cello and bow as she looks down toward a young Western child.
A British journalist, Sam Chambers, happened to see it when he was at the Shenzhen Airport on Tuesday, the day of the 13th anniversary of Diana's death in a road accident in Paris.
The story soon went public in the Daily Mail newspaper the next day, causing a stir among British readers.
Many commented on the Daily Mail website, saying the Diana strategy was "very distasteful and sick."
One reader named Ruth from Berkshire said the company should give some break to Diana and at least allow her to rest in peace because she had suffered enough in life.
But others said the promotion was just a promotion and wouldn't make any difference just because they have some blonde bird portraying a princess and her name is Diana.
A Jealousy International spokeswoman, who insisted on anonymity, said the inspiration for the Diana underwear had come from the ancient Greek moon goddess "Artemis," whose Roman name coincidentally was "Diana."
However, the company didn't explain the slogan, "Feel the romance of British royalty."
On the contrary, the spokeswoman said the products aimed to bring customers "French romance," having been designed by French stylists.
The brand was registered in 1995, two years before the fatal car accident, she added.
The marketing strategy of "Diana" seemed to be effective. The spokeswoman said it has been attracting a large number of high-end middle-aged buyers in nearly 10 cities across China, including Shanghai, since its launch in 1995. But she declined to give exact sales figure.
She said the company had received many inquiries after the British newspaper published the article, most criticizing the company for its "apparent attempt to exploit the princess's image" and accusing the company of "seeking to capitalize on the late princess's popularity and glamour."
The company said it wasn't worried about possible lawsuits because the brand complied with China's trademark law.
A legal expert surnamed Liu in Shanghai said the company was legally correct under Chinese law, which makes no strict limitations on the meaning and potential effect of brands to be registered.
But the Guangdong Province-based underwear company, Jealousy International, yesterday told Shanghai Daily that the hurt feelings of British people were a result of misunderstanding.
The promotion, using a lingerie-clad Western woman who looks like Princess Diana, splashed across many billboards in Guangdong's Shenzhen City, including a spot at the city's airport.
The model, who has chestnut hair just like the princess's and wears a silver crown and a necklace, is shown in a dark-blue bra and panties, holding a cello and bow as she looks down toward a young Western child.
A British journalist, Sam Chambers, happened to see it when he was at the Shenzhen Airport on Tuesday, the day of the 13th anniversary of Diana's death in a road accident in Paris.
The story soon went public in the Daily Mail newspaper the next day, causing a stir among British readers.
Many commented on the Daily Mail website, saying the Diana strategy was "very distasteful and sick."
One reader named Ruth from Berkshire said the company should give some break to Diana and at least allow her to rest in peace because she had suffered enough in life.
But others said the promotion was just a promotion and wouldn't make any difference just because they have some blonde bird portraying a princess and her name is Diana.
A Jealousy International spokeswoman, who insisted on anonymity, said the inspiration for the Diana underwear had come from the ancient Greek moon goddess "Artemis," whose Roman name coincidentally was "Diana."
However, the company didn't explain the slogan, "Feel the romance of British royalty."
On the contrary, the spokeswoman said the products aimed to bring customers "French romance," having been designed by French stylists.
The brand was registered in 1995, two years before the fatal car accident, she added.
The marketing strategy of "Diana" seemed to be effective. The spokeswoman said it has been attracting a large number of high-end middle-aged buyers in nearly 10 cities across China, including Shanghai, since its launch in 1995. But she declined to give exact sales figure.
She said the company had received many inquiries after the British newspaper published the article, most criticizing the company for its "apparent attempt to exploit the princess's image" and accusing the company of "seeking to capitalize on the late princess's popularity and glamour."
The company said it wasn't worried about possible lawsuits because the brand complied with China's trademark law.
A legal expert surnamed Liu in Shanghai said the company was legally correct under Chinese law, which makes no strict limitations on the meaning and potential effect of brands to be registered.
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