French luxury retailer Christian Dior has suffered a PR setback in China with the relaunch of its Saddle Bag, one of the brand’s most iconic items.
Timed to coincide with a global influencer campaign, the launch was marred by a poorly-received advertisement that many Chinese netizens felt made the product – which retails for about US$2650–$6000 – look cheap.
“Is Dior serious? The shooting angle and lighting of the video is absolutely kitsch, and it makes the bag look so cheap,” one person wrote on social media after seeing the video. Another, named “kaichequBBQ” made fun of it, writing “I thought this lady will teach us how to find discounts and coupons to buy it.”
A spokesperson for Dior China said that the video was an outside production, saying “This is not a part of the official ad campaign for the Saddle Bag in China, but footage of how fashion influencer Elle Lee presents the bag. Elle Lee, as a winner of the Miss Hong Kong Pageant (last year), is active in the fashion circle and maintains a good relationship with Dior China.”
The Saddle Bag first debuted in 1999, and was relaunched globally on July 19.