LG Household & Health Care's 'Bareulssitja' Faces Controversy
Collaboration with Influencer Who Made Misogynistic Remarks
Some Call for Boycott... Contract Terminated and Apology Issued
LG Household & Health Care, which advertised through an influencer who made misogynistic remarks, deleted the advertisement and posted an apology after the controversy arose. According to social media (SNS) on the 12th, LG Household & Health Care signed an advertising contract for the ‘Bareulssitja’ product with influencer A, who has 270,000 followers. However, when A’s past remarks came under scrutiny on SNS and online communities, it was reported that the contract was eventually terminated.
‘Bareulssitja,’ a foot-washing product from LG Household & Health Care’s body care brand On The Body, is actively marketed through influencer and character collaborations. In particular, efforts are being made to expand consumer contact points through SNS activities. As part of the ‘Bareulssitja’ marketing, LG Household & Health Care signed an advertising contract with A, and several promotional posts about the product were uploaded on A’s account last year.
Recently, however, online communities pointed out that A posted misogynistic remarks in 2023, such as "Men under 160 cm in height should not be introduced to women as a matter of principle." Multiple communities shared screenshots of A’s misogynistic posts, and some netizens called for a boycott of the ‘Bareulssitja’ product.
As the controversy spread, A stated on the same day, "The boycott-related posts appeared on male-dominated communities last weekend. When I checked, they had already recorded over 100,000 views and were featured as the best posts." He added, "The decision to remove the advertisement was mutually agreed upon as the best course of action."
The account "Bareulssitja," which caused controversy with a collaborative advertisement involving influencers, has issued an official apology. X
LG Household & Health Care stated through the official ‘Bareulssitja’ SNS, "As the person in charge who monitors daily with vigilance, we became aware of the community posts through weekend searches and, startled, coordinated with the account to delete the advertisement on the same day." They continued, "We should only deliver joyful news to our deeply beloved customers, so it is painful to have caused discomfort. We are deeply listening to all the valuable feedback from our customers and will exercise meticulous care in all future communications."
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