Oppo apologizes after Mother's Day campaign sparks backlash in China

by SONG Jianan

Chinese smartphone brand Oppo has apologized and disciplined senior executives after a Mother's Day marketing campaign sparked backlash across Chinese social media, renewing scrutiny of the company's marketing tactics.

In a statement posted Sunday, Oppo said it had conducted "deep reflection" over the incident and imposed "strict penalties" on DUAN Yaohui, the senior vice president overseeing China market operations, along with other marketing managers.

The company also pledged to restructure its content review process and "uphold mainstream values."

The controversy began after Oppo partnered with Chinese magazine Sanlian Lifeweek on a Mother's Day campaign encouraging users to share stories about their mothers.

One promotional slogan quickly drew anger online:

"My mom has two 'husbands.' One is my dad. The other she sees twice a year. She barely dresses up for dates with my dad, but for the other one, she'd wear a wedding dress if she could."

The OPPO Mother's Day campaign that triggered backlash on social media.

The campaign featured a mother holding fan signs for a celebrity idol, attempting to portray modern mothers as having identities and passions beyond family roles. In Chinese fan culture, young internet users sometimes jokingly refer to celebrities they admire as "husbands" or "wives" online — slang Oppo appeared to reference in the campaign.

Instead, many Chinese internet users accused the company of trivializing marriage and family relationships for attention.

As criticism spread, Oppo removed the campaign materials and issued an apology, saying its original intention had been to "break stereotypes" and present "more diverse and multidimensional images of contemporary mothers."

But the response did little to calm public anger.

DUAN Yongping, a key founder and early investor in Oppo who has largely stepped back from day-to-day operations, later commented publicly on the controversy.

"It was indeed inappropriate," Duan wrote in comments cited by Chinese media. "If something is wrong, you fix it."

The backlash has since evolved into a broader debate over how far Chinese brands are willing to push provocative online marketing in pursuit of traffic and younger audiences.

Chinese internet users later identified the campaign's alleged planning lead as a graduate of Wuhan University, prompting the university's School of Chinese Language and Literature to publicly distance itself from the advertisement.

On May 10, the China Advertising Association also weighed in, warning brands against using vulgarity and controversy to chase online traffic.

Without naming Oppo directly, the group said some companies had mistaken provocation for creativity, turning emotional and ethical boundaries into marketing tools.

The controversy also revived scrutiny of Oppo's previous marketing missteps.

Earlier this year, a company executive promoting a purple version of the Find X9 smartphone joked publicly that the design was made to "captivate married women," drawing criticism for objectifying women.

In 2022, viewers discovered that a demo device shown during an official livestream contained an internal device name insulting Oppo customers.

For many observers, the latest controversy reflects deeper tensions inside Oppo as Chinese smartphone brands compete for attention in an increasingly saturated market.

According to research firm Omdia, Oppo — including its OnePlus and realme brands — ranked fourth globally in smartphone shipments during the Q1 2026 with 30.7 million units shipped, though shipments declined 6% year over year.

Competition in China's domestic smartphone market has also intensified.

Huawei ranked first in mainland China during the quarter with a 20% market share, while Apple's shipments surged 42% year over year as it strengthened its position in the premium segment, according to Omdia.

Oppo, meanwhile, has been restructuring internally. Earlier this year, Jiemian News reported that realme would return under Oppo's management structure alongside OnePlus as the company sought tighter coordination across its brands.

The pressure comes as China's smartphone market shifts away from the heavy advertising and celebrity-driven strategies that once helped brands like Oppo dominate lower-tier cities.

As growth in the low-end market slows, competition has increasingly shifted toward technology, ecosystems and premium brand positioning.

Huawei, for example, has strengthened its high-end image through heavy research spending, proprietary chips and its HarmonyOS ecosystem, alongside a more restrained marketing style.

Critics argue Oppo has struggled to fully move beyond its earlier "traffic-first" marketing instincts.