Sexy Tea?! ChaYanYueSe's English Name Sparks Controversy!

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ChaYanYueSe's English Name Controversy

Recently, the third ChaYanYueSe store in Nanjing used the English name "SexyTea" as its signboard, which has sparked heated discussions among netizens!

Some netizens expressed that ChaYanYueSe's logo features a figure of a classical Chinese woman, yet uses "Sexytea" as the brand's English name. Since "Sexy" translates to "sensual" in Chinese, they believe this practice is somewhat disrespectful to women and doesn't align with the brand's gentle feminine logo or the Chinese classical style design inside the store.

Just recently, ChaYanYueSe made its debut in Chengdu, where a cup of milk tea was hyped up to 200 yuan and just made headlines... Less than a month later, it's once again sparking intense discussions among netizens due to the English translation of ChaYanYueSe's signboard "SexyTea"—truly one wave after another!

"Sexy" has multiple meanings in English. While "sensual" isn't necessarily a derogatory term, for a brand, what's appropriate is best. ChaYanYueSe has always been regarded as a representative of Chinese-style milk tea in people's hearts, with rich classical charm. The English expression "SexyTea" therefore seems somewhat inappropriate.

Some netizens commented: Although "Sexy" has many different interpretations, and there are so many words that can express "attractive," why choose one that has little connection to the brand's characteristics and can easily cause misunderstanding? I haven't seen any other store use an English name as their signboard before. Suddenly using an English name this time makes it hard not to suspect they're doing it intentionally.

However, quite a few netizens believe that ChaYanYueSe's approach is not problematic. This group thinks that "Sexy" is not a derogatory term—besides sensual, it can also mean charming, attractive, or fascinating.

Moreover, ChaYanYueSe has been using this signboard all along, and it has appeared in stores in other regions. It also has a TM trademark symbol, proving that when applying for trademark registration, they enjoy the right of prior use, so they believe the English signboard is not problematic.

Trademark Registration Issues

According to Tianyancha (a business information platform), someone had previously applied to register the "SEXYTEA" trademark, but this trademark is currently in a "trademark invalid" status.

The decision from the National Intellectual Property Administration regarding the rejection review of this trademark shows that "SEXY" translates to "sensual, erotic," with unhealthy connotations and low taste. When designated for use on service items like tea houses, it could easily cause adverse social effects, violating trademark law provisions. No registration of the "SexyTea" trademark was found under ChaYanYueSe's affiliated companies either.

Regulatory Response

On September 14th, a media reporter consulted with a staff member from the Nanjing market supervision department who stated that in actual law enforcement processes, it's difficult to determine whether advertisements or trademarks used by merchants violate regulations. If the images or language used in advertisements or trademarks appear vulgar or could easily bring uncivilized impressions to consumers, with suspicions of pushing boundaries, merchants should make corrections.

Previous Controversies

In February 2021, there was also controversy regarding packaging. ChaYanYueSe printed the message "Many beautiful women buy milk tea. If you happen to meet one, you can quietly tell our staff members 'I picked up a basket'" on product packaging, which was suspected of objectifying women.

Subsequently, ChaYanYueSe issued an apology on their official Weibo, apologizing for the poor impression caused by the inappropriate sentence "picking up a basket" on their Changsha dialect-themed cups. The apology statement also mentioned that they would immediately recall this batch of Changsha dialect-themed mugs and seriously reflect on the reasons behind this incident, improving from aspects such as creative standards, creative management, and product management.

Current Response and Conclusion

Regarding this use of an English name, ChaYanYueSe customer service responded that the store name means "charming." Meanwhile, the Qinhuai District Market Supervision Bureau responded that it is neutral and not biased.

When brands engage in promotional marketing, they all have themes they want to express, but advertisements are面向 the public, so they naturally need to consider the feelings of the vast majority of people.

One cannot ignore potential social impacts for the sake of promotional effects. Being creative in marketing is normal, but one cannot cross boundaries. Complying with laws and regulations, and respecting public order is both a red line and a bottom line.

Image source: Weibo