KYLIAN MBAPPÉ’S AMAZING MANDARIN AD FOR A CHINESE SOCIAL NETWORK IS DELIGHTING INTERNET USERs

New Madrid native Kylian Mbappé is the face of a campaign to promote Xiaohongshu, the country’s equivalent of Instagram. The sequence, published on X this Monday, July 22, has sparked many reactions among Internet users.

16 seconds are sometimes enough to set social networks alight. Even more so when they feature Kylian Mbappé as the main character. The neo-Madrilenian is the new face of Xiaohongshu, also known as RED, the Chinese equivalent of Instagram.

In a massively relayed advertising clip on X this Monday, July 22, the French striker, wearing a red jacket, is facing the camera. A big smile on his face, he only lets out one word, the name of his sponsor: Xiaohongshu.

Relayed by widely followed accounts, the sequence looks like a montage made by artificial intelligence. It generates (light) mockery among some Internet users, and circumspection, or even incomprehension, among others.

“Tell me it’s fake”

“We don’t even need to make a joke here,” one of the reactions reads. “I beg you, tell me this is fake,” another user of the X network supports.

“We’re keeping this preciously aside for an obscure performance in October at Leganés,” jokes a football “twittos” with 107,600 subscribers. “I’m already thinking about the slightest completely missed goal, this video will be released calmly,” adds another Internet user.

A contract finalized at the end of April

According to English-language website Dao Insights , Kylian Mbappé has been associated with Xiaohongshu – which also has a trading platform – since late April.

The nature of the contract has not been leaked, but it has given the French striker additional exposure in China. In the space of four days and three posts, the former Monaco player, who also benefits from the Madrid hype, has pocketed some 192,000 fans.

He was not unknown in China, however. On Weibo, he benefits from an active fan community. Recently, Internet users published excerpts from the press conference of the Bondynois’ arrival at Real Madrid or even photos of him draped in the jersey of his new club.