Hong Kong Canto-pop star Denise Ho calls on Lancome to explain concert cancellation
Pro-democracy singer was due to perform at event organised by cosmetics giant; however mainland internet users criticised her for her political stance
Canto-pop star Denise Ho Wan-sze has urged cosmetics giant Lancome to explain why a promotional concert was cancelled after mainland internet users criticised her for her political stance.
The company had invited Ho to host a mini-concert at a promotion event in Sheung Wan on June 19. The event, which was free of charge, was fully booked.
But a day after Beijing newspaper Global Times accused Lancome on Weibo for inviting “Ho – a Hong Kong and Tibet independence advocate – to promote their products”, Lancome clarified on Sunday that Ho was not the brand’s spokeswoman and called off the concert, citing “possible safety reasons”.
The incident highlighted the Hong Kong market’s relative insignificance in the cosmetics industry compared with the mainland. A pro-business lawmaker also said it showed international investors could be discouraged from doing business in Hong Kong if it remained politically divided.
Ho is well-known for her pro-democracy stance. She was blacklisted by mainland media along with singer Anthony Wong Yiu-ming and actor Anthony Wong Chau-sang, who also support democracy.