A new ad promoting Hong Kong tourism has backfired greatly, with critics saying it portrays an abusive relationship. (iStock)
A new tourism ad for Hong Kong featuring a young couple on an adventure of sorts has backfired, with viewers calling the romantic portrayal abusive.
The video, titled “Treasures of the Heart,” was directed by Chan Chi-fat and shared to Hong Kong’s official Twitter account earlier this month.
In it, a young woman is seen frantically searching for her passport a few hours before her scheduled flight. She discovers a note left by her boyfriend saying that he took it because he doesn’t want her to leave. He then sends her on a scavenger hunt around the city to locate the missing document.
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“Girl meets boy. Girl leaves boy. Boy hides girl's passport: A #ShamShuiPo love story,” the accompanying Twitter caption reads.
Since being posted on Oct. 10, the ad has received dozens of comments from angry viewers calling out the “terrible message,” pointing to the abusive and controlling nature of the couple’s relationship.
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Many called for the ad to be removed, but as of Monday morning it was still on the Hong Kong Twitter account.
Fox News has reached out to Discover Hong Kong, which runs the Twitter account, for comment.
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