Dolce & Gabbana (D&G) apologized on Friday over a controversial ad campaign, which incensed Chinese customers for its perceived disrespect to their culture and put the Italian luxury brand at the heart of a PR crisis.
The company posted on its Weibo account a short video of co-founders and designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana apologizing for the debacle, and expressing sadness about what they've caused to China and the Chinese people.
"We beg for your forgiveness over our deviations in the understanding of culture," said Dolce in the video. He added that their "love for China has never changed," and that numerous visits have made them fall in love with the Chinese culture.
"We must apologize for the mistakes we have made in our expressions," Dolce noted.
Gabbana, who was ensnared in the commotion over abusive remarks he made against China in response to angry Instagram fans but which he claims were sent by a hacker, said that the company values "the apology statement very much," and apologized to Chinese people around the globe.
The logo of D&G is pulled down from a Shanghai venue after the show was canceled. /VCG Photo
At the end of the almost 90-second clip, the co-founders apologized in Mandarin.
Within three hours, the hashtag #DGapologizinginChinese garnered 160 million exposures on Weibo, with over 33,000 discussions ensuing.
But D&G's move, which aimed at appeasing the angry crowd, heightened tensions instead as Chinese netizens pointed out that the apology was only posted on Weibo, a Chinese Twitter-like platform. Internet users berated the brand for addressing the apology to Chinese people only, and wondered if they were trying to keep on the hush.
A D&G store in Wuhan City, Hubei Province. /VCG Photo
“Apologies are not necessarily followed by forgiveness, and apologizing doesn't mean the pain never existed,” said one Weibo user.
"Is this apology video provided specially for the Chinese market?" other Weibo users questioned. "Why isn't it posted on Twitter, Instagram or facebook?"
"Apology received, but I will never buy any of your goods," said one comment.
As of 5:00 p.m. BJT, there were over 126,000 comments below the clip on Weibo, among which many noted that D&G was apologizing to the "yuan instead of the country and its people."
A few hours after the video was posted on Weibo, and in what seemed like a response to criticism, D&G posted the apology clip on Instagram and Twitter.
Comments by Chinese netizens under D&G's apology video on Sina Weibo. /Photo via Sina Weibo
The embattled brand is going through a rough patch in China since its "DG Loves China" ad series misfired earlier this week after allegations it was feeding into Chinese stereotypes and mocking the country's culture. Subsequent statements by the brand further worsened the situation.
Since Wednesday, the brand has issued three statements over the controversial ad campaign, but was accused of not being willing to apologize or admit fault.
Major online e-commerce retailers, such as Alibaba's Tmall and JD.com, removed the brand's goods, and a string of Chinese celebrities either canceled their participation in its Shanghai fashion show on Wednesday night (it was canceled at the last minute) or terminated their cooperation with it, such as in the case of D&G ambassadors in China.
The incident occurred as the brand attempts to expand in the Chinese market. Since 2016, D&G has held two fashion shows in Hong Kong and Beijing, and the now-scrapped Shanghai show would have been the third.
The brand has 58 stores in China.
Chinese consumers' contribution to the global expenditure on luxury products is expected to grow around 32-33 percent in 2018. China is now the world's second-largest market for luxury goods, only next to the U.S.
During D&G's 2017-2018 fiscal year, the brand's turnover was 1.29 billion euros, a year-on-year decrease of six million euros.