(Maire Clayton, Headline USA) Google was met with backlash after releasing a “woke” Christmas ad featuring a nonbinary influencer wearing female clothing.
The ad featured TikTok star Cyrus Veyssi and had the influencer searching for skincare products through Google shopping.
“This winter dryness is not it,” Veyssi said. “Especially when I have so many holiday looks to pull off.”
Social media users were quick to slam the ad on social media.
British social-media influencer Oli London shared the video and called it “WOKE.”
“Google launches WOKE Christmas campaign featuring man wearing women’s clothing complaining about his skin,” London wrote.
Google launches WOKE Christmas campaign featuring man wearing women’s clothing complaining about his skin. pic.twitter.com/Rvk7wa5NIh
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) December 11, 2024
Other users expressed how companies are out of touch with reality.
“Another out of touch company failing to read the room,” the user wrote. “Can’t avoid Google, but I don’t have too buy the products they pitch via woke garbage like this.”
Some wrote that they were going to switch to the search engine DuckDuckGo in protest of the ad.
Others compared it to when Anheuser-Busch partnered with controversial transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in 2023, causing a a widespread boycott and an over $1 billion loss in sales.
“Do they not remember the bud lite fiasco?” an X user questioned. “Help make them.”
Another questioned if the Big Tech company enlisted the help of former Bud Light staff.
“Did Google hire the former Bud Light marketing executive to do its new Christmas shopping campaign?” a user wrote.
A Google representative told Fox News Digital the post was just one in a series of partnerships with other influencers.
“To put it in perspective, this was a single sponsored Instagram post, representing a fraction of a percent of a much wider Google Shopping campaign,” the representative said.
In November, luxury car company Jaguar received backlash over its rebranding efforts, where it released an ad showcasing androgynous models and no cars.
