Mars Wrigley advertisement received online backlash from Chinese citizens.Viral imagery from a Snickers promotional event claiming Taiwan as a country sparked backlash from Chinese public.Chinese officials issued sanctions on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday after her visit to Taiwan.
The makers of the Snickers candy bar, Mars Wrigley, issued an apology to China on Friday after the company faced backlash for suggesting Taiwan is an independent country during a promotional event. The criticism stemmed from a launch event debuting a limited-edition Snickers bar, during which the company said the new product was available in select countries including South Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan,Images and video from the event went viral on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, prompting Mars Wrigley to issue an apology on its Snickers China Weibo account and assure the public that it would amend the content in question.
"Mars Wrigley respects China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity and conducts its business operations in strict compliance with local Chinese laws and regulations," Mars Wrigley said in the statement.One commenter on Weibo garnered 8,000 likes in their criticism of the advertisement.