In a recent turn of events, Aespa’s Giselle has taken steps to address concerns raised by fans regarding her inadvertent promotion of a brand associated with the pro-Palestine boycott list. T
he controversy emerged after fans noticed that three out of ten photos shared by the K-Pop idol in a November Instagram post featured McDonald’s food and logo.
However, recent grassroots campaigns have expanded the list beyond official BDS targets, incorporating brands like McDonald’s and Starbucks due to perceived connections with Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip.
Giselle’s Photo Dump and Fan-Led Awareness Campaign
Following the photo dump post in question, diligent fans embarked on a campaign to raise awareness about the unintentional promotion.
📣 ATTENTION, aerishines! We have made a template that we can send to Giselle via WEVERSE and BUBBLE regarding her posts showing brands involved in the genocide in Gaza. Please copy the message and send it to said platforms 🙏🏻 “Dear Giselle, there are concerns circulating about…
— GISELLE GLOBAL (@Giselle_GLOBAL) December 27, 2023
‼️ MASS EMAIL AND KWANGYA 119 ‼️MYs attention! Please participate in sending an email and report to SM regarding the boycott of brands that support Israel.📢KWANGYA 119 TEMPLATE:https://t.co/rJNCcWLXpo📢EMAIL TEMPLATE:https://t.co/ERBmoXpBGR#SM_BOYCOTT_GENOCIDE pic.twitter.com/6yzpRVfBkU
— MY UNION #JingleBellRock (@aespaMYunion) December 26, 2023
Commenting on Giselle’s post and utilizing hashtags aimed at SM Entertainment, supporters sought to bring attention to the issue. The objective was to encourage idols to reconsider their associations with brands not aligned with the pro-Palestine cause.
Photo Dump Edited: Giselle’s Response
As of December 28, the original ten-photo post on Giselle’s Instagram has been amended to feature seven photos, with the three McDonald’s-related images conspicuously absent.
FINALLY GISELLE DELETE THE POST ABOUT MCD 🥹🫂 pic.twitter.com/Lbrw80x0I0
— aerich🧸 (@gigi_aee) December 28, 2023
In light of aerishines and MYs call for the removal of photos showing companies related to the genocide in Gaza, Giselle has removed said photos from her instagram posts 🥹 thank you, Giselle 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/ZNws1JAymj
— giselle instagram (@aerichanstagram) December 28, 2023
Giselle’s case is not isolated, as K-Pop idols face increasing pressure from fans to align with pro-Palestine sentiments. The incident highlights the industry’s role in broader sociopolitical conversations, emphasizing the need for artists to stay mindful of the brands they associate with in a climate where social and political issues are closely scrutinized.