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Sharon Stone
Dior Dumps Sharon Stone from Ads in China
May 30, 2008 02:20 PM
by
Rachel Balik
After she implied the recent earthquake was karmic punishment for China’s treatment of Tibet, Stone became the latest celebrity endorser dropped for bad behavior.
30-Second Summary
During an interview with a Hong Kong TV station during the Cannes Film Festival, Sharon Stone expressed disapproval of China’s behavior toward Tibetans. She continued, “And then all this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and I thought, ‘is that karma—when you’re not nice that the bad things happen to you?’”
Stone is a model for Christian Dior, and its China office dropped her from their ads, stating, “We don’t agree with her hasty, unreflecting remarks and we deeply regret them.”
Dior, like other luxury companies, seeks to tap the thriving market in China, but has learned the hard way that celebrities and their remarks often cannot be controlled. The company now risks a poor image there; an editorial in China’s state-run newspaper called Stone “the public enemy of all mankind.” Dior is reconsidering its relationship with Stone on a global level.
Brands often dismiss celebrity endorsers when their behavior becomes embarrassing. Notable recent examples include Kate Moss, who lost contracts after admitting to cocaine use, and Kobe Bryant, whose contract with hazelnut spread Nutella was not renewed after he was charged with sexual assault.
Stone is a model for Christian Dior, and its China office dropped her from their ads, stating, “We don’t agree with her hasty, unreflecting remarks and we deeply regret them.”
Dior, like other luxury companies, seeks to tap the thriving market in China, but has learned the hard way that celebrities and their remarks often cannot be controlled. The company now risks a poor image there; an editorial in China’s state-run newspaper called Stone “the public enemy of all mankind.” Dior is reconsidering its relationship with Stone on a global level.
Brands often dismiss celebrity endorsers when their behavior becomes embarrassing. Notable recent examples include Kate Moss, who lost contracts after admitting to cocaine use, and Kobe Bryant, whose contract with hazelnut spread Nutella was not renewed after he was charged with sexual assault.
Headline Link: ‘Dior drops Sharon Stone in China’
Dior’s Shanghai office released a statement of apology from Stone, who said, “due to my inappropriate words and acts during the interview, I feel deeply sorry and sad about hurting Chinese people.” The actress also committed to helping with earthquake relief efforts and aiding the Chinese people, but her words did nothing to stop Dior from removing Stone from ads in China.
Source: BBC
Reaction: Navigating the foreign market
Dior waited a week before addressing the situation; the company finally issued a statement when it were faced with the threat of product boycotts. “Being successful in China, like anywhere else, means being sensitive to local conditions,” explains the chairman and chief executive of the advertising agency Leo Burnett Worldwide, Tom Bernardin. China is an essential market, and Chinese responses to the comment were scathing; China’s state-run news agency called Stone “the public enemy of all mankind.”
Source: International Herald Tribune
Background: Tibet and the Earthquake
The earthquake generated a great deal of sympathy for China, at a moment when its public image was under attack because of the country’s dealings with Tibet. A history of Tibet and its conflicts with China are included in findingDulcinea’s feature Focus on Tibet.
Source: findingDulcinea
China responded to the earthquake fairly rapidly and has been very public about its relief efforts. The response has created a surge of national pride. Danny Paau of Hong Kong's Baptist University, said, “It seems to me that everything just drums up the nationalism … They are identifying with the government, the very quick responses.”
Source: findingDulcinea
Related Topic: Celebrity behavior affects endorsements
After NBA star Kobe Bryant was charged with sexual assault, Nutella did not renew his endorsement contract in 2003. A company spokesperson said that the marketing team had not planned to renew the contract, but implied that final decision was based on Bryant’s behavior.
Source: ESPN
Model Kate Moss was scheduled to promote clothing store H&M’s new Stella McCartney line in 2005 when she admitted to cocaine use. The brand’s initial response was to forgive Moss, but there was an outcry from the public. A spokesperson from the store explained, “After the feedback from customers and other papers … we decided we should distance ourselves from any kind of drug abuse.”
Source: The New York Times
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