Photo: A screenshot of Dove’s Sina Weibo account

Dove Chocolate on Tuesday issued an apology on its Sina Weibo account following widespread criticism of a short-video advertisement released during the Chinese Qixi Festival, which is known as the Valentine's Day in China.

The advertisement sparked outrage among Chinese netizens for seemingly promoting infidelity and distorting relationship values.

The controversial clip, posted by Dove’s flagship store, featured a protagonist saying: “I have asked my boyfriend for a Dove chocolate gift box, but he never bought it for me. Now that my boyfriend is away, I will share it with my romantic interest.” 

Chinese netizens swiftly criticized the advertisement, saying that it promoted inappropriate relationship values and caused public discomfort. “I have eaten Dove since I was very young and I was really disappointed this time,” one Chinese netizen commented. Another called it “cheating chocolate.” 

In the apology, Dove acknowledged that the advertisement had “obvious flaws in its presentation and values,” contradicting the brand’s messaging of sincerity, warmth, and respect.  

The company noted that the short video was produced by a third-party operating team and had failed to undergo proper content review. Dove said that the video had been immediately removed, and vowed to strengthen training for relevant personnel and strictly abide by its content release mechanism. 

However, even after the apology, many netizens have remained unconvinced. Some criticized the statement for having a “strong sense of AI work” and deemed it insincere, suggesting the company was not taking full responsibility for the incident.

Despite the controversy, Dove remains a dominant player in the Chinese chocolate market. According to Euromonitor International, Dove ranked first in China’s chocolate market by market share in 2025.  

Global Times