The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2022
Chayan Yuese's English name was 'SexyTea' — the Nanjing sign said so
Chayan Yuese used 'SexyTea' as its English name since 2013. When a Nanjing store opened in 2022, customers asked why a tea brand called itself sexy.
Chayan Yuese (茶颜悦色)
What happened
On September 9, 2022, Chayan Yuese opened its third Nanjing store at the Aqua City mall. The storefront featured the English name 'SexyTea' — a translation the brand had used since 2013 across its Changsha and Wuhan locations. The sign paired the English with the brand's classical Chinese maiden logo.
On September 14, Nanjing residents flagged the English name to media, saying 'SexyTea' paired with a traditional female image created an inappropriate impression and looked like borderline innuendo. The debate split online: some called it a translation mistake; others said 'sexy' in English has connotations a tea brand should not court.
On September 17, Chayan Yuese announced it would remove the 'SexyTea' signs from newly opened stores, stop using the English name for future locations, and phase out existing signage once a replacement was chosen. The Qinhuai District market regulator said the term was 'neutral' and difficult to classify as a violation under existing rules.
Why it happened
- The name was nine years old before anyone objected: 'SexyTea' had appeared on signs since 2013, but scale — moving from regional to national — turned a quirky translation into a liability.
- The pairing was the problem: 'sexy' next to a classical Chinese maiden logo created an impression the brand's wholesome identity could not absorb.
- The regulator's neutrality finding showed the limit of ad law: 'SexyTea' is not obscene, but it is off-brand, and no statute covers bad taste.
- The voluntary removal pre-empted enforcement: by acting before the regulator ruled, Chayan Yuese kept control of the narrative.
The lesson
An English name that reads as innuendo is a brand's own translation error. Scale makes it visible; the internet makes it permanent.
Sources
- 新浪财经 / 每日经济新闻 — 'Chayan Yuese responds to SexyTea sign controversy: new stores will stop using the English name', 2022-09-17
- 新浪财经 — 'Chayan Yuese SexyTea sign controversy topic page', 2022-09
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