2025’s biggest brand controversies (so far)

Today’s fame economy faces tighter scrutiny, and far less forgiveness, than ever. Whether it’s luxury labels overreaching on IP claims, or influencers courting outrage for virality, the rules of brand safety and reputation management are constantly shifting. Below, Jing Daily breaks down the biggest controversies that dominated Weibo, Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), and global headlines, revealing the high stakes of campaigns and digital activities in a perpetually-online, highly-wired world. Chinese idol Cai Xukun’s comeback and livestream glitch goes viral After months of public absence following a 2023 scandal involving allegations of sexual misconduct, Chinese idol Cai Xukun returned to the spotlight this year as Charlotte Tilbury’s global ambassador. In April, a joint Douyin livestream with Tilbury took a chaotic turn: The stream was interrupted twice — once due to Douyin’s language moderation system, the other time due to technical issues. Despite the disruptions, sales soared and over 80,000 new followers joined Charlotte Tilbury’s Douyin account in a single day. This digital comeback was soon followed by a major partnership announcement with Versace, marking a controversial but successful re-entry into China’s luxury ecosystem. The virality underscored both the power of celebrity and the platform’s stringent content rules. Skims’ ‘pierced nipple bra’ excites Chinese netizens Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand Skims reignited controversy in May with the launch of its “Ultimate Pierced Nipple Bra” — a risqué follow-up to its viral 2023 “nipple bra” design. While the undergarment, priced at $74, gained massive attention on Western platforms, Skims remained conspicuously silent on Chinese social media. Despite the lack of official posts, Chinese netizens still discovered the product, with hashtags related to nipple piercings reaching over 30 million views on Xiaohongshu. Reactions were surprisingly positive, highlighting China’s increasingly bold Gen Z consumers. The product’s unspoken presence on Chinese platforms reveals a new strategy: Let fans drive the conversation, while the brand quietly benefits. Miu Miu loses trademark case cosmetics brand ‘Jiu Jiu’ In a surprising blow to Prada Group’s intellectual property ambitions, Taiwan’s judicial system found against the luxury giant in a dispute over the local cosmetics brand “Jiu Jiu.” Prada claimed the name was too similar to its sub-brand Miu Miu, citing phonetic overlap and repetitive structure as grounds for confusion. However, the court found no meaningful resemblance in sound or appearance, allowing Dijia Co to retain rights to the name for use on products like perfumes and facial cleansers. The verdict sparked discussion on Xiaohongshu, with some netizens dismissing Prada’s argument as stretched. “As a graphic designer, I also think this is too far-fetched,” one user commented. Others speculated the lawsuit may have been more symbolic, aiming to deter future imitators in Asia’s hyper-competitive luxury space. The ruling comes at a time when Miu Miu is enjoying record success — with 93% retail sales growth in 2024 and 60% year-on-year expansion in Q1 2025. But the case highlights the growing difficulty of protecting brand identity in markets where local perception can outweigh global recognition, especially amid a flood of viral lookalikes and Gen Z-targeted knockoffs. Cultural misstep: Fendi’s knot controversy light up Weibo Fendi faced backlash in March after its “Hand in Hand” campaign featured a Chinese knot design created by South Korean artist Kim Eun-Young. The motif, a culturally significant craft in China, led many netizens to accuse the brand of cultural misattribution. The hashtag about Fendi’s response surged to over 110 million views on Weibo and dominated the platform’s trending charts. While Fendi clarified its intentions, the incident highlighted ongoing geopolitical and cultural sensitivities around concepts of heritage and representation — especially when luxury brands operate in multiple Asian markets with complex histories. Balenciaga’s $372 hairpins ignite backlash In March this year, Balenciaga released a pair of stainless steel snap hairpins priced at 2,700 RMB (approximately $372), sparking widespread criticism on Chinese social media. Netizens compared the luxury hairpins to similar items available for less than $0.15, questioning the brand’s pricing strategy. The controversy highlighted ongoing debate about the value proposition of luxury goods and the fine line between high fashion and gimmickry. Despite the backlash, the hairpins reportedly sold out quickly, underscoring the complex dynamics of consumer behavior.

Sectors

Insights

Company

2025’s biggest brand controversies (so far)