Ouyang Nana’s endorsement of the guitar sparks controversy, forcing the manufacturer to shut down the comment function.

Taiwanese artist Ouyang Nana, who recently actively reposted a graphic on Weibo stating “Taiwan, China Must Return” from the Central Communist Party’s CCTV, has been invited to become the spokesperson for the international renowned guitar brand Gibson. However, controversy arose when the company introduced Ouyang Nana as a “musician who redefines the boundary between classical and pop music,” leading to netizens questioning, “Ouyang Nana plays the cello, what does she have to do with your guitar?” Under public pressure, the brand disabled the comment function on its official social media platforms.

Gibson, the internationally renowned guitar brand, recently announced on its official social media platform that Ouyang Nana will be the brand’s spokesperson for 2025. Gibson described Ouyang Nana as a “musician who redefines the boundary between classical and pop music” and also as an influential figure in Asia.

Although the company provided reasons for choosing Ouyang Nana as the spokesperson due to her continuous work in China, it failed to convince some music enthusiasts. Some netizens believe that Gibson’s decision does not align with the brand’s spirit, pointing out in the comments section that Gibson represents music cultures like rock and blues, which are entirely unrelated to Ouyang Nana’s image as a “cello beauty” entering the music industry.

Other netizens criticized, “Gibson, you are being silly by doing this. Ouyang Nana plays the cello, what does she have to do with your guitar? You choose guitar heroes as brand ambassadors around the world, but in China, you pick a popular star for clout?” Some even threatened to boycott Gibson or consider other guitar brands.

Faced with strong public pressure, the company had to delete the post introducing Ouyang Nana, but the announcement post on Instagram remains, albeit with the comment function disabled, showing the negative sentiment has had an impact.