Be Careful with Controversial Hand Gestures... Seoul Milk Caught in 'Misogyny' Controversy While Trying to Avoid 'Misandry'

Seoul Milk's Greek Yogurt Influencer Ad Campaign
Includes 'Controversial Hand Gesture' in Precautions
"Excessive Measure and Misogyny"... Fierce Criticism on SNS

Seoul Milk faced controversy over misogyny after requesting product promotion and adding a caution to avoid 'using hand gestures.'

On the 6th, according to Yonhap News and social networking services (SNS), Seoul Milk recently spread a photo of cautionary notes given to influencers during a Greek yogurt promotion campaign. Among several cautions such as “Do not mention medicinal effects or compare with other companies' products,” there was a note saying, “Please be careful not to use hand gestures that could cause controversy when opening the yogurt lid or holding the package.”

[Image source = X capture]

Although Seoul Milk did not explicitly specify, SNS users pointed out that the 'controversial hand gesture' might refer to the pinching gesture made with the thumb and index finger. Previously, the pinching gesture had been mentioned in some online communities as a symbol mocking men, becoming a symbol of misogyny. In 2021, GS25 apologized after criticism that the pinching gesture in their promotional poster was misogynistic, and several companies such as Renault Korea, Smilegate, Musinsa, Genesis BBQ, and Kyochon Chicken have faced similar controversies.

Perhaps due to concerns over such controversies, Seoul Milk included a phrase asking not to use the pinching gesture, but some criticized this as an excessive measure and misogyny. On X (formerly Twitter), reactions included, “They specifically wrote not to make the pinching hand shape, but do we really have to be careful about that when eating yogurt?” and “How else do you open the lid without pinching it with your thumb and index finger?” On that day, ‘Seoul Milk’ ranked within the top 10 trending topics on X, mostly with posts criticizing Seoul Milk, and some even called for a boycott.

An advertisement from 2021 in which Seoul Milk compared women to dairy cows.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Seoul Milk was previously embroiled in misogyny controversy in 2021 for an advertisement comparing women to dairy cows. At that time, Seoul Milk officially apologized and deleted the video. Earlier, in 2003, to promote a new yogurt product, female models performed a nude performance by pouring yogurt on their bodies, and the marketing staff was reportedly fined for public obscenity.

However, Seoul Milk stated that they did not anticipate the Greek yogurt promotion would cause misogyny controversy. A representative told Yonhap News, “We provided guidelines asking influencers to be careful not to cause social issues when posting photos,” and added, “We will be careful so that no consumers feel uncomfortable.”