On July 12, the Instagram account of the high-end cosmetics brand YSL Beauty posted a photo of the female ambassador for the Japanese region, Sana (member of Kpop group TWICE ), attending an event in Japan on July 11.
Fans left many comments praising Sana's beauty under the post. However, the YSL Beauty account suddenly caused controversy when replying to some comments unrelated to Sana and comparing Sana to Rosé (Blackpink).
Under a comment that reads: "No one can compare to the original Rosé", YSL Beauty expressed its agreement by dropping a "heart" emoticon.
Another comment with the content: "YSL Girl Rosé" was also answered similarly by YSL Beauty.
YSL Beauty's actions were criticized as unprofessional and disrespectful to female ambassador Sana.
Rosé (Blackpink) is currently the global ambassador of Saint Laurent (YSL) and was the YSL Beauty ambassador for Asia. But in August 2022, she moved to become the global ambassador for beauty brand Sulwhasoo, meaning her contract with YSL Beauty ended.
Sana's fans simultaneously pushed the keyword asking YSL Beuaty to respect Sana on Twitter. Fans also commented under YSL Beauty's post, criticizing the brand for influencing the female ambassador, while Sana is currently the company's leading face in the Japanese market.
Rosé's fans also expressed outrage when YSL Beauty caused her to get caught up in unnecessary noise.
The same evening, YSL Beauty deleted the controversial comments. The brand said one of the account managers "wrongly replied" to negative content towards "beloved and respected ambassador Sana".
YSL Beauty emphasized that this action does not reflect their brand values. YSL Beauty apologizes to Sana and the fans who were hurt. The brand pledges to continue to support female ambassador Sana in the most active way.
In addition to YSL Beauty, Sana is currently taking on the position of ambassador for many high-end brands such as Prada and Graff.
