OPPO Pulls Mother's Day Ad After Backlash Over '2 Husbands' Reference

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO has apologized and removed a Mother's Day promotional post after the copy sparked intense online debate for what many called an inappropriate and misleading reference to a mother having "two husbands."

The controversial line read: "My mom has two 'husbands' — one is my dad, the other she sees twice a year. She barely dresses up to meet my dad, but for the other, she'd almost wear a wedding dress."

The post, which drew from fan circle culture where followers jokingly refer to their idols as "husband," aimed to depict a mother's enthusiasm for celebrity fandom from a child's perspective.

But the post quickly climbed trending lists on Chinese social media, dividing opinion. Some netizens argued the phrasing was misleading, crossed a line on family values, and promoted improper ethics. Others dismissed the controversy as overblown, saying it was simply an Internet meme.

Later that day, OPPO issued an apology and removed the post. The company said its original intention was to break stereotypes and present a more diverse and multidimensional portrait of modern mothers: "A mother can love marathons, immerse herself in writing, or have her own star-chasing hobby."

OPPO added that it would conduct a full review of its content review mechanisms to prevent similar issues from recurring.

The China Advertising Association also weighed in publicly yesterday, condemning certain brands for using vulgar memes and twisting family bonds in Mother's Day marketing. The CAA stressed that advertising creativity must not breach the bottom line of public order, social customs, or family ethics, and vowed to resolutely oppose hype-driven, traffic-first marketing tactics.

The association also issued an industry-wide initiative, urging all parties to tighten content review processes, stick to positive and warm-toned marketing, and called on both the involved brands and others to take the incident as a serious lesson.