Spicy stick packaging also plays erotic routines? Weilong apologizes!

　　Zhongxin Finance, March 30 (Zuo Yuqing) "Did you make an appointment?" "The thief is big"... Weilong spicy sticks, which are popular among young people and even minors, have turned over because of the packaging copy.

　　Recently, some netizens pointed out that the packaging copy of Weilong spicy sticks is vulgar, such as "About" written on the big gluten food packaging, "thief big" written on the big spicy stick, and "tough" written on the small spicy stick.

The series of texts immediately caused controversy online.

Weilong apologizes: stop production of controversial copywriting packaging

　　Regarding the packaging copywriting controversy, on March 25, some media reported that Weilong customer service said that the copywriting was marked according to the characteristics of the product, and may not have thought so much when designing.

　　In the early morning of March 30, Weilong's official Weibo officially issued a statement: "Recently, some netizens have put forward relevant opinions and suggestions on the packaging of the company's products. The content of the layout of the product packaging has caused controversy among some netizens. We hereby apologize. , the company attaches great importance to the opinions of the majority of netizens and consumers, and decided to stop the production of controversial copywriting packaging, and at the same time optimize the layout copywriting and design."

Wei Long responded with a screenshot.

　　Zhongxin Finance has noticed that the current product pictures of Weilong's official flagship store have no packaging suspected of being vulgar, but in many unofficial e-commerce merchants, packaging pictures such as "About" and "Tough" can still be seen.

　　In the spicy strip market, Weilong can be described as an emerging leader. Not only has it flourished in the snack industry, but it has even submitted prospectuses twice in 2021, trying to impact Hong Kong stock IPOs.

Weilong's latest prospectus shows that in 2020, Weilong's total revenue will be 4.12 billion yuan, gross profit will be 1.566 billion yuan, and gross profit margin will be as high as 38%.

Among them, in the company's 4.1 billion yuan revenue in 2020, the revenue of seasoned noodle products (that is, spicy strips) reached nearly 2.7 billion yuan, accounting for about 66% of the total revenue.

　　On the 30th, it seems that the controversy caused by Weilong's advertising cannot be settled. In the comment area, many netizens are still quarreling.

Some netizens said that the copy was just playing a vulgar borderline; some netizens thought that some netizens were "thinking too much".

　　But then, some netizens pointed out that Weilong's marketing had played the edge ball many times before.

For example, on the eve of "Double 11" in 2016, Weilong's flagship store on an e-commerce platform was full of more obvious vulgar hints.

Weilong packaging copywriter suspected of playing vulgar edge balls.

Screenshot from Weibo.

Accused of having applied for a number of trademarks suspected of playing vulgar edge balls

　　The Tianyancha App shows that Luohe Weilong Trading Co., Ltd., the company that belongs to the Weilong brand, has also applied for a number of trademarks suspected of playing vulgar edge balls, including "Happy Roll Up", "Thief Big", "Thief Stick", "Yellow" Explosion", "Hey hey fungus", etc., the international classification is mostly convenience food and food.

However, none of these trademarks have been reviewed and are currently invalid.

　　As for the packaging copy of this controversy, Jiang Zezhong, a professor at Capital University of Economics and Business and a researcher at the Private Enterprise Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the vulgarity in it is unmistakable: "If you just look at a single word, it may not be very relevant. But when these When words are put together, the metaphors in them are very obvious."

　　Jiang Zezhong told Zhongxin Finance that even if the copy is "labeled according to the characteristics of the product", some words are not appropriate: "Words like 'tough' are difficult to describe the taste or texture of food."

　　"The popularity of spicy strips by teenagers is in line with the characteristics of their age group." Jiang Zezhong pointed out that teenagers prefer spicy food, and the spicyness of spicy strips caters to this mentality.

"Parents are generally reluctant to give their children such particularly spicy food, so many teenagers will buy it in the store and avoid parents' secret eating."

　　Jiang Zezhong said that Weilong Spicy Tiao's deliberately vulgar edge ball on the packaging copy will have a negative impact on young people.

　　Weilong's prospectus shows that 95% of Weilong's consumers are 35 years old and below, and 55% of its consumers are young people 25 years old and below.

Weilong products on a supermarket shelf.

Photo by Zuo Yukun of China-Singapore Finance and Economics

Zhongxin Cai Review: Don't make excuses for ads that play pornographic edge balls

　　The reason why spicy strips are loved by young people is that because of their unique color and fragrance, it has become the childhood memory of one generation, and may also become the childhood memory of the next generation.

　　Zhongxin Finance noticed that even among today's youth groups, Weilong and other brands of spicy strips are still very popular.

In shops near primary and secondary schools, Weilong spicy sticks can still be seen everywhere.

On the e-commerce platform, consumers also posted photos of their children eating Weilong spicy sticks.

　　Here, I remind companies including Weilong that the advertising copy should be carefully considered, and do not play ambiguous and vulgar routines; some consumers who like Weilong should not be blinded by their feelings, and do not make excuses for the company's vulgarity.

(over)