Samsung has pulled an ad for its  “Listen to Your Heart” campaign to promote its wearable productsGalaxy Buds2 and Watch4. The ad, featured a drag queen and his Muslim mother, received backlash from some parts of the Muslim community as it was found to be “insensitive and offensive” and “disrupts the harmony within the Malay-Muslim community."

One Facebook user commented that, “We are against the ideology of mainstreaming homosexuality and transgenderism into a conservative society,"

In the ad, Samsung partnered with ad agency Cheil Singapore to demonstrate the wearable products by recording the heart rates of participants while they listen to different kinds of music. After that, participants will listen to voice recordings of their loved ones giving a heartfelt speech.

The drag queen and the mother were not the only participants. The ad also featured two best friends with an unbreakable bond; a father who spent time in jail and was absent during most of his young daughter’s life; and a man who commended his fiancée after going through depression and facing the death of her father. 

The drag queen tells this message in the ad: “You are just unbothered having people looking or judging you differently, having a son that does drag.”

After the backlash, Samsung decided to take down the ad and posted a clarification statement on Facebook, saying that it is aware of the backlash. The South Korean company stated that they “have fallen short in this instance, and have since removed the content from all public platforms”. 

“Samsung believes that innovation and growth are driven by diversity and inclusivity. We will certainly be more mindful and thorough in considering all perspectives and viewpoints for our future marketing campaigns,” the statement reads. 

After the removal, some netizens criticised the decision, as it contradicts with its statement. “Imagine being offended and threatened by a mother's love for her child,” an Instagram user commented. 

Cheil Singapore Managing Director Anand Vathiyar said the campaign was meant for people from all walks of life to be able to express their true feelings to their loved ones.