IKEA Removes 'Sexist' Chinese Ad

IKEA pulled an allegedly sexist Chinese advertisement Thursday.

The 30-second clip, which has since been taken down by the Swedish home furniture company, featured a Chinese woman being reprimanded by her mother for not bringing home a boyfriend, according to a BBC News report Thursday.

The parents are later overjoyed when a young man appears at the door with a bouquet of flowers. With the help of IKEA furnishings, the family is able to quickly decorate their home to meet the boyfriend to the astonishment of the daughter.

Many claimed the advertisement was sexist and belittled single women. Chinese culture values marriage highly, and single women are often portrayed as "leftover women."

IKEA apologized for the ad and said in a statement Tuesday, posted in both English and Mandarin, that "gender equality is a fundamental part" of the company.

"We understand the concern caused by this TV advertisement and sincerely apologize for giving the wrong perception," the statement read. "This TV ad tried to show how IKEA can help customers easily and affordably convert a typical living room into a place for celebration."

The furniture company added, "IKEA encourages people to live in many different lifestyles ... (and) gender equality is a fundamental part of the IKEA culture and values."

IKEA also said in their statement that the situation will bring a "good opportunity" to learn and improve in the future.

"We have already taken action and will continue to improve our communications moving forward," the statement read.

Other insensitive advertisements within big-named companies have brought uneasiness within media.

Skincare brand, Dove, was under recent fire for an advertisement that received major backlash after being deemed as racist in early October.

"Dove is committed to representing the beauty of diversity. In an image we posted ... we missed the mark in thoughtfully representing women of color and we deeply regret the offense that it has caused. The feedback that has been shared is important to us and we’ll use it to guide us in the future," the company said in a statement released on Facebook following the controversial ad Oct. 8.