'Woman → Cow Transformation' Seoul Milk Ad... Netizens Say "Disgusting Idea"

Seoul Milk Changes Advertisement Video to Private on the 8th

Seoul Milk's advertisement video registered on the 29th of last month received criticism from some netizens as a "misogynistic ad." Seoul Milk has currently set this advertisement to private. / Photo by Seoul Milk YouTube capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Controversy has erupted among netizens over an advertisement video by Seoul Milk. The video depicts a woman transforming into a dairy cow, prompting some netizens to strongly criticize it as an "inappropriate metaphor." Amid growing controversy, Seoul Milk has switched the advertisement video on its YouTube channel to private.

The controversial advertisement video was posted on Seoul Milk's official YouTube channel on the 29th of last month. The video is an advertisement for Seoul Milk's organic milk product, and Seoul Milk also held an event where viewers who left comments sharing their impressions of the video could win prizes through a lottery.

The video is 52 seconds long and is directed in a documentary style. A male figure holding a camera films a region in Gangwon-do, accompanied by a narration saying, "Finally, we succeeded in capturing their image on camera."

The screen then shows women dressed in pure white clothes gathered by a stream, drinking water. The women are seen doing yoga or sitting cross-legged. The narration states, "They drink clean water from pristine nature, insist on an eco-friendly organic diet, and live peacefully in a comfortable environment."

At this moment, the man holding the camera steps on a branch, causing a sound, and when one woman turns her head, all the women nearby transform into dairy cows.

The advertisement then concludes with the line, "100% pure Seoul Milk from organic farms, organic milk," showing a man smiling as he drinks the milk.

However, some netizens who viewed the video expressed dissatisfaction, calling it an inappropriate advertising method. They found it difficult to understand the reasoning behind comparing women to dairy cows, and some scenes were criticized for evoking the impression of illegal filming.

One netizen wrote on Twitter, "This is a very unpleasant advertisement. If this isn't misogyny, then what is?" and claimed, "It voyeuristically depicts women's bodies and blatantly exposes sexually harassing expressions."

Another netizen criticized, "How was such an advertisement approved?" and called it a "disgusting advertisement."

As the controversy grew, Seoul Milk switched the advertisement to private on the 8th. Asia Economy attempted to contact Seoul Milk to inquire about the intention behind the video and the reason for making it private, but received only the response, "The person in charge is currently unavailable," and "We will contact you later."