China’s ban on puns hits dairy products on social media

On a similar track, and of particular interest to Irish dairy firms seeking to make inroads into China, comes the news about Mengniu Dairy's problems with advertising one of its latest products, Da Hun Jun.

In 2008, Mengniu Dairy was at the centre of the melamine-tainted milk scandal, but since then it has recovered strongly and is a major domestic player.

“Da hun jun” translates as “great meat monarch” and the drink is aimed at China’s carnivores. But “da hun jun”, a different word but which sounds similar, translates as “fatuous and self-indulgent ruler” – this can happen in China where there are many homonyms, and it’s taken very seriously.

Amid a current crackdown on puns and wordplay in advertising, all references to the product have been removed from ads and social media, as the powers-that-be worry it could be interpreted as a pejorative reference to president Xi Jinping.