Dove apologizes for controversial promotional video

Dove has issued a formal apology following a controversy surrounding a promotional short video posted on its Douyin official flagship store during the Qixi Festival. The video depicted a woman receiving a Dove gift box from an ‘ambiguous partner’ because her boyfriend had failed to buy her one, a storyline that drew widespread criticism for promoting improper relationship values.

Public backlash intensified after customer service representatives responded to inquiries by stating the content was ‘personal creation’ and suggesting that dissatisfied viewers could simply ‘swipe away’ if they disliked it. This response was widely condemned as insincere and dismissive of consumer concerns regarding the brand’s image.

In a statement released via Weibo, Dove clarified that the video was created and published by a third-party store operations team and that the brand’s internal content review processes were not strictly followed. The company stated the content’s values were inconsistent with its brand philosophy of sincerity, warmth, and respect. Dove has since removed the video, pledged to strengthen management of its operating partners, and implemented stricter content audit mechanisms.