Outrage in Seoul After a Racist‑Shrouded German Ad
A German cable‑advert for Horn Bach—Germany’s DIY giant—stoked a firestorm in Seoul after it showed an Asian woman moaning while handling a bag of dirty clothes worn by white men. The ad’s slogan, “That’s how the spring smells,” felt like a punchline to a joke that landed on a wrong audience.
What the Commercial Did
- White men are seen gardening and then tossing off their sweat‑soaked shirts into a tin box.
- The scene shifts to an industrial, almost Tokyo‑ish city where an Asian woman buys the box of clothes.
- She opens it, is supposedly “aroused,” and the ad ends with the tagline about spring’s scent.
The internet’s reaction was immediate and fierce. Users on Twitter and Instagram blasted Horn Bach’s “thoughtless” imagery, calling it a blatant stereotype that feeds into sexual harassment fantasies directed at Asian women in the West.
Petition and Public Demands
A petition demanding a public apology and the ad’s removal drew in almost 1,000 signatures by late March, the same day the ad was uploaded. The petition’s traffic was spurred by a flurry of tweets such as:
“How many more Asian female voices do you need to hear before you learn to apologize?” — a Korean woman, and
“No matter what you say, the ad was inappropriate.”
Horn Bach’s Defense
Horn Bach offered a textbook defense: it insisted the clip was not “racist,” but rather a commentary on “the decreasing quality of life in cities.” The company also clarified that the fictional city shown in the ad was not meant to depict any real Asian location.
Despite these clarifications, critics remained unconvinced. They argued that the ad played into real‑world sexual assault narratives that target Asian women, and that a “fictional city” could not absolve the hurt caused.
Why It Matters
- Consumer brands wield massive influence: a single ad can either uplift or offend.
- Racial stereotypes in marketing feed into broader societal normalization of harassment.
- South Korean users are demanding a sincere apology—an act that could either mend relationships or deepen mistrust.
In the end, it’s a stark reminder that keeping it thoughtful, inclusive, and sensitive is not optional—it’s essential.
