Google is facing criticism for its new Christmas advertisement, which features a nonbinary beauty influencer named Cyrus Veyssi. The ad promotes Google Shopping and showcases Veyssi using the service to find skincare products. In the ad, Veyssi is shown wearing makeup and women's clothing, complaining about dry skin during the winter season.
Veyssi says, "This winter dryness is not it. Especially when I have so many holiday looks to pull off. Thankfully, I know just the thing." Veyssi then proceeds to search for skincare products on Google Shopping. The ad concludes with the influencer saying, "Hydrated skin is a gift to everyone. No wrapping needed. Happy holidays to me," as the Google Shopping logo appears on the screen.
However, some social media users have expressed disapproval of the ad, accusing Google of promoting a "woke" agenda. "Google launches WOKE Christmas campaign featuring a man wearing women's clothing complaining about his skin," wrote one user while sharing the video on X.
Here's the video:
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
Another person commented, "Google is cancelling women. Bizarre marketing strategy." A third said, "This has gone too far."
A fourth added, "Google keeps getting more woke and more cringe."
Google: “What should we do for our Christmas ad?”
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) December 11, 2024
Normals: “Maybe a family sharing gifts around a tree?”
Google: “Sorry, best we can do is a dude prancing around in women's clothing.” pic.twitter.com/1fmhooFsIq
A Google spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the advertisement featuring Cyrus Veyssi is part of a larger campaign that showcases dozens of smaller social media influencers.
"Everyone likes to find a good deal and save money. That's why we're promoting Google Shopping as the best way to do that. To put it in perspective, this was a single sponsored Instagram post, representing a fraction of a per cent of a much wider Google Shopping campaign," a spokesperson said.
Notably, Veyssi is a 30-year-old non-binary beauty influencer and content creator. The content creator, who goes by "he/him" and "they/them" pronouns, initially gained popularity on TikTok, where they share makeup tutorials, skincare routines, and inspirational videos. Veyssi's content also focuses on promoting self-acceptance, inclusivity, and diversity in the beauty industry. As a beauty expert, Veyssi has collaborated with several brands and has been featured in various publications.
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