What’s trending?

The number one Chinese baijiu brand, both in terms of sales and market share, is high on Weibo’s hot picks after the launch of its latest marketing campaign.

The hashtag #Moutai-releases-dizzyingly-magical-tune #茅台发布上头神曲is trending, as the Lunar New Year festivities see bottles of Moutai, made by China’s most valuable publically-listed liquor company, exchange hands for increasingly high prices across the country.

The ad features three young foreigners rapping in a mix of Chinese and English while walking around a traditional waterside town in Guizhou, the home province of the sorghum-based spirit.

Despite efforts to internationalize the Moutai brand in particular and baijiu in general, the liquor remains stubbornly unpopular among non-Chinese drinkers outside China.

What’s the story?

For consumer brands in China, the annual holiday is peak promotion season, often involving new product launches and even cash giveaways. It is also a time when humor is turned up to peak levels in advertising.

Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd., which has seen its share price rise through the roof in recent weeks, is using the holiday period to encourage people to drink the spirit rather than simply hoard it as an investment or for special occasions such as weddings.

For reasons which have baffled most people on social media, the company chose a music video of a rap song sung by foreigners for this purpose, with lyrics including, “Don’t call me a laowai (foreigner) as I actually understand Chinese wine. Don’t ask me which parts I’m from, for Guizhou is my love. Don’t ask me what and why. Of course it’s Moutai!”

What are people saying online?

The rap has been slammed on Weibo, with one user writing, “This video shows that Moutai is very far from being luxury or global.” The song is variously described as “local”, “awkward”, “dull” and “extremely embarrassing.”

Social media commentary tends to agree that simply adding foreigners to the mix does not improve Moutai’s chances of becoming international. One blog post suggests Moutai has lost its edge, as its original success was due to it having a very good team, while now Wuliangye, another baijiu brand, has stronger marketing.

The lyrics were also panned, with one person wondering how the strong liquor could be called a “wine” if it were not simply because the word sounded a bit like “laowai”. The same commentator said using young people to promote baijiu was a mismatch, as baijiu is out of favor with young Chinese drinkers.

Related: Liquor Giant Moutai Battles Speculators to Keep Head-Spinning Prices in Check

Corrupt Bad Bank Chief Was ‘Enemy Within,’ Watchdogs Say