Chinese social media users have reacted with outrage to Nike’s latest advertisement for the Paris Olympics, which features a table tennis player licking her paddle.
Chinese
The ad, titled “Am I A Bad Person?”, showcases sports icons like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Serena Williams, Zheng Qinwen, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappe. However, the controversy erupts just six seconds into the video, narrated by Hollywood actor Willem Dafoe, when an actress playing an Asian table tennis player licks the edge of her paddle.
This moment has sparked a backlash on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, where a hashtag related to the lick has garnered over 53 million views.
“What’s the point of licking a table tennis paddle? What was the creator of this commercial thinking—did they imagine the paddle was clean and sweet like a lollipop?” one user questioned.
Some users speculated that Nike included the scene intentionally to provoke controversy and stir emotions. Others took the opportunity to revive the Xinjiang cotton issue and express their support for Chinese brands.
“Don’t say we’ve forgotten—after the Xinjiang cotton controversy, we only wear [Chinese sports brand] Anta!” one comment read.
Other posts simply mentioned “Xinjiang cotton” or stated that they no longer purchase Nike products.
In 2021, Nike and other brands like H&M faced backlash in China for their concerns over alleged forced labor in cotton production. The Chinese government denied these claims, leading to widespread boycotts of these brands.
Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen, who appears prominently in Nike’s summer campaign, “Winning Isn’t for Everyone,” recently defended her Palermo Women’s Open title. Zheng, the top seed and a runner-up at the Australian Open earlier this year, defeated second-seed Karolina Muchova 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
Zheng was eliminated in the first round at Wimbledon earlier this month after a surprising loss to Australia’s Lulu Sun. She played through a swollen eye and an arm injury. Her recent victory at the Palermo Open is expected to boost her confidence as she heads to Paris.
