Samsung Unplugs Ad Featuring Muslim Mom, Drag Queen Son

Singapore’s conservative makeup seemingly coaxed Samsung into removing an advertisement depicting a Muslim mother with her drag-queen son.

The electronics company said it “acknowledged [it has] fallen short in this instance,” removing the ad after retaliation on social media from Singapore’s sizeable Muslim community.

“We are aware of the feedback that one of our recent campaign films for our wearable products may be perceived as insensitive and offensive to some members of our local community,” the company said in a Facebook post. “We…have since removed the content from all public platforms.”

The commercial featured a Muslim woman receiving a message from her son, intended to publicize Samsung's new wearable technology such as smartwatches.

"We will certainly be more mindful and thorough in considering all perspectives and viewpoints for our future marketing campaigns," Samsung added in their Facebook post.

Business Insider reports that the magnitude of the alleged backlash is unclear at the moment. Singapore-based news outlet Wake Up Singapore said that there were more angry social media posts about the removal of the ad than the ad itself.

“To date, it is still unclear what these people were offended by the fact that LGBTQ+ people exist in Singapore, or that we are deserving of loving relationships, or both," LGBTQ group Pink Dot Singapore said in an Instagram statement. “We should also be able to express these loving relationships freely, regardless of those who want to shame us back into silence simply because they find us offensive."