You've heard of BLACKPINK, now get ready to meet BLAH PINK!
On August 12, Filipino brand Hygienix posted their new advertisement for their Germ-Kill Alcohol. It didn't take long for BLINKs to realize that the female germs looked just like the BLACKPINK members. They're even doing the iconic ending pose from the choreography of "How You Like That"!
It's not uncommon for brands to piggy-back off the success of K-Pop, with many using K-Pop idols as their brand ambassadors. However, turning them into idols is definitely a... weird turn of events.
Hygienix's captions for their advertisement material reads, "How you like that, dapat always with mask on and alcohol in hand. We stand #FightWorldGermination by using Hygienix" ("dapat" means "should"). The germs look like caricatures of the BLACKPINK members - however, instead of making them look like the visuals they are, they are green, slimy, and monstrous-looking.
How you like that, dapat always with mask on and alcohol in hand. We stan #FightWorldGermination by using Hygienix... Posted by Hygienix on Wednesday, August 12, 2020
The germs also have names similar to the BLACKPINK members. There's Germsoo, which is based on Jisoo, Lisakit (with "sakit" meaning "sick" in Filipino) based on Lisa, Roseeww is based on Rosé, and Germnie, which is based on Jennie.
Fans have been divided over the use of BLACKPINK in their promotional material. Many are unhappy with how they made BLACKPINK use, making them appear gross. Others also point out how it is highly likely Hygienix did not get permission to use BLACKPINK's likeness in their advertisements.
Others have commented that it is defamation to BLACKPINK, as they are being compared to germs. Additionally, the advertisement is being sponsored, which means it can reach more people and potentially damage the group's personal brand and reputation.
However, some have found the advertisement light-hearted and funny. On Facebook, the pot has 14,000 "Haha" reactions, which is more than the 4,800 "angry" reactions.
Hygienix is a popular brand in the Philippines that sells a variety of hygiene products, from hand sanitizers to soaps. They boast a germicidal formula that can kill 99.9% of diseases from bacteria. Most of their advertisement material now centers on the prevention of COVID-19.
As of now, Hygienix and YG Entertainment have not responded to the issue.
ABOUT BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK is a four-member girl group under YG Entertainment that debuted in 2016. The group's members are Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. Upon debut, the group was an instant success, with their debut tracks "BOOMBAYAH" and "WHISTLE" also being their first number-one hits on both South Korean charts and the Billboard World Digital Song Sales charts.
The group is the highest-charting K-pop girl group on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Hot 200 and were the first female Korean act to enter and top the Billboard's Emerging Artists. Additionally, they have three number-one singles on the Billboard's World Digital Song Sales Chart.
The group's latest comeback, "How You Like That", broke the record for a most-viewed music video within the first 24 hours of its release and broke four Guinness World Records. The track is the fastest Korean song to reach double platinum on China's streaming platform QQ Music.
BLACKPINK is the most followed girl group on Spotify and the most-subscribed music group and female group on YouTube.
On August 28, BLACKPINK will release a single featuring Selena Gomez as a pre-release to their first full-length studio album, which will be released in October 2020. Member Rosé will debut as a soloist in September 2020.
