Cosmetics ad makes up letter from scorned wife

The full-page advertisement published by the Nandu Daily on August 20 reads: "Ex-Mrs. Zhang, Just let go. It's clear who the winners and losers are. Good men only belong to women who know how to improve themselves. Here's to hoping you wake up soon and start. May the world be rid of homewreckers. - Mrs. Zhang." The ad turned out to be a stealth advertising campaign by a Guangzhou-based cosmetics company. Photo: nandu.com

A cosmetics company has unveiled a full-page ad in a Guangzhou newspaper channeling the "ex-factor" by featuring a letter supposedly from a scorned wife, Zhejiang-based news portal zjol.com.cn reported on August 20.

Employees at the Nandu Daily in Guangzhou, Guangdong province confirmed the mysterious ad signed by a seemingly livid "Mrs. Zhang" was in fact the brainchild of a local cosmetics company.

The ad, which appeared on page A16 of the Guangzhou edition on August 20, reads:

"Ex-Mrs. Zhang, Just let go. It's clear who the winners and losers are. Good men only belong to women who know how to improve themselves. Here's to hoping you wake up soon and start. May the world be rid of homewreckers. - Mrs. Zhang"

The open letter, however, leaves no clue as to the name of the company or what products it is advertising. The report failed to enlighten with any further details.

While some netizens railed against the paper for publishing the ad, others criticized the cosmetics company for reinforcing negative stereotypes of women.

"It's hard to say how many Mrs. Zhangs will actually take this letter as addressed to them," one Web user commented.

China is home to over 87 million Zhangs, according to a 2007 census.