Seoul Milk withdrew its 52-second organic milk advertisement after viewers criticized scenes in which a man secretly films people in a field and women appear to turn into dairy cows. The company made the official upload private or removed it and apologized on December 8, 2021. Contemporary reports said copies appeared on other users’ accounts, but their availability and authorization today are not established.
What was in the Seoul Milk advertisement?
Seoul Milk uploaded the organic milk commercial to its official YouTube channel on November 29, 2021. Seoul Shinmun described the video as 52 seconds long. It opens in a natural setting in Gangwon Province, where a man carrying a camera approaches a group of people. The narration describes a clean environment. He attempts to film the group covertly, makes a noise, and the women shown in the scene appear to transform into dairy cows. The ad closes by promoting Seoul Milk organic milk with references to clean water and organic feed. Seoul Shinmun’s report and The Korea Times’ coverage describe the sequence.
Why did viewers object?
Women appearing as cows
Viewers interpreted the transformation as equating women with dairy cows. The criticism focused in part on close-ups centered on women, including a woman drinking from a leaf and another arching her back in a yoga pose, according to The Korea Times. The ad also showed men: The Washington Post reported that an employee said six of the eight people in the field were men. That cast detail did not settle criticism of the close-ups, which, apart from the cameraman, appeared to show women. The Washington Post’s report covers the cast account.
The covert-filming imagery
The second objection was that the man’s secret filming resembled spycam recording, a serious privacy and sexual-abuse concern in South Korea. The Korea Times reported that more than 30,000 hidden-camera filming cases were reported to police in South Korea between 2013 and 2018. That figure is attributed here to the newspaper’s December 9, 2021 report; the article does not identify the original statistical publisher.
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- SMOOTH MATCHA FLAVOR – Creamy milk drink blended with matcha green tea powder for a sweet, mellow green tea flavor.
- MADE WITH WHOLE MILK – Combines whole milk with matcha for a smooth and satisfying ready-to-drink beverage.
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- PRODUCT OF KOREA – Made in Korea by Seoul Milk, a Korean dairy brand dating back to 1937. Contains milk.
What did Seoul Milk say and do?
Seoul Milk said it had not intended to highlight or demean a particular gender and reportedly noted that more of the models were men. That was the company’s stated defense; it did not resolve viewers’ objections to the imagery.
On December 8, 2021, the company made the video private or removed it and published an apology on its website. The Korea Times reproduced the company’s written statement:
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- PACK OF 6 CARTONS: Includes six 6.4 fl oz (190 mL) cartons of Seoul Milk Banana Flavored Milk Drink, for a total of 38.4 fl oz (1.14 L).
- CLASSIC KOREAN BANANA MILK FLAVOR: A smooth, sweet banana flavored milk drink from Seoul Milk, one of Korea’s most recognized dairy brands.
- READY-TO-DRINK SINGLE SERVINGS: Convenient carton packs are easy to enjoy at home, at work, with lunch, or as a quick sweet beverage.
- MILK-BASED BEVERAGE: Each carton contains 140 calories, 5g protein, and 170mg calcium per serving. Contains milk.
- PRODUCT OF KOREA: Made for Seoul Dairy Cooperative. Enjoy chilled for the best taste. Keep refrigerated after opening.
“We sincerely apologize to everyone who felt uncomfortable seeing our milk advertising video uploaded on Seoul Milk’s official YouTube channel, Nov. 29. We are taking the matter seriously and will take more careful measures to prevent similar problems from occurring in the future. We once again bow our heads and apologize to all consumers who felt uncomfortable with this advertisement.”
The Korea Times reported on the apology on December 9, 2021. Read its report and the full apology.
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- Perfect size for lunch boxes
- Product of Korea
- Perfect refreshing flavor
- The package dimension of the product is 10.7"L x 3.9"W x 3.7"H
Can you still watch the clip?
The official upload was reported as private or removed in December 2021. The Washington Post said copies were available on other users’ accounts at the time of its report, but current availability and whether any surviving copy is authorized have not been established. No verified current viewing link is available here.
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