"Who Licks a Table Tennis Paddle with Their Tongue?"... Nike Ad Sparks Controversy Over China Insult

Criticism Over Alleged Insult Targeting China
Mixed Reactions Among Netizens on Advertisement Video

Adidas faced protests from Israel after featuring a Palestinian model in its advertisement and subsequently apologized. Now, Nike is under fire in China for an advertisement video posted on its official Chinese website ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The video shows a female athlete licking a table tennis paddle, which has been criticized as an insult to China and Asians.

On platforms like Weibo, 'Nike advertisement' has become a trending search term. The advertisement's slogan states, "Not everyone can be a winner, and victory belongs to those who do whatever it takes." The dubbed subtitles also include the phrase, "You tell me. I'm someone who cannot be hated."
[Photo by Weibo]

On the 24th, Chinese media outlets such as SoHu.com and Global Times reported that Nike's new advertisement video featuring a table tennis paddle licking scene has sparked controversy among Chinese netizens. On platforms like Weibo, "Nike advertisement" has become a trending search term. The ad copy reads, "Not everyone can be a winner, and victory belongs to those who do whatever it takes," while the dubbed subtitles also include the phrase, "You speak up. I'm someone who can't be hated."

This advertisement is part of Nike's "Winning Isn’t for Everyone" campaign ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The issue arose because a female athlete in the video licks a table tennis paddle, which Chinese netizens criticized. The hashtag "Nike promotional video licking table tennis paddle" recorded 81 million views on Weibo.

Advertisement video released by Nike for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
[Photo by Weibo]

Many Chinese netizens responded that a light kiss on the paddle would have been a more appropriate gesture, calling the scene "rude," "absurd," and "disgusting." Some netizens criticized the scene as a deliberate insult targeting China. On the other hand, some argued that the reaction was "too sensitive" and that there was "no need to raise an issue."

When contacted by some media outlets, Nike responded, "We will forward the matter to the relevant department. We will disclose a specific response once the department provides the results." Previously, in 2021, Nike criticized human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and announced it would not source products or raw materials from Xinjiang. This led to a strong boycott movement against Nike within China.