Holy cow: Milk company in South Korea gets flak for ad where women transform into cows

While some advertisements leave you scratching your head, others simply leave you at a loss for words.

The largest dairy company in South Korea, Seoul Milk, has been under fire recently for publishing a video advertisement where women are portrayed as cows.

The video was available on YouTube from Nov 29 to Dec 8, before it was taken down as fierce criticism of the advertisement grew, according to Allkpop.    

The 90-second video shows a man with a video camera wandering into an idyllic forest with a stream and then observing women dressed in white on a green pasture — some were seen drinking dew from leaves.

A narrator explains in Korean: "They drink clean water from pure nature, insist on an eco-friendly organic diet, and live peacefully in a pleasant environment. I will try to approach them cautiously."  

As soon as the man steps on a branch while filming these women, they suddenly transform into cows.

[embed]https://youtu.be/5KBhBtECZjs[/embed]

The criticism of this video spread onto social media with some women highlighting that such an advertisement gives reason for men to secretly document them, which is a crime in South Korea.

Netizens showed their displeasure on the YouTube video, with one person commenting: "The man is illegally taking photos of women, and the women turning into cows. This advertisement has too many problems. It's disgusting."

Another said: "Women turning into cows? Really?"

This is not the first time Seoul Milk has faced controversy. In 2003, they had a nude performance where three nude female models were sprayed with milk in public using a spray gun.

Another similar controversy occurred in 2019 when Chinese brand Coconut Palm was criticised on Weibo for its advertisements featuring large-chested women in skimpy tops.

Some of its claims via slogans include: "Drink one can every day, [your] curves will excite people, be whiter and more plump." 

zakaria@asiaone.com