Shenzhen Metro pulls 'eyesore' ads after public outcry

Those passing through Houhai Metro Station in Nanshan District this morning found that the column-wrapping ads had already been replaced with new visuals, following numerous complaints from citizens who called them "visual bombardments" and "eyesores."

The complained ad at Gangxia North Station. File photos

A Spicy Prince snack strip (latiao) ad, featuring large blocks of highly saturated red, was criticized as "ugly" and visually straining. At Houhai Station, that ad has already been replaced with a yellow-and-green one promoting Yiako Coffee.

Another ad for online headhunter Yupao – which featured a giant mugshot of its founder Zhou Feng – has also been replaced with one advertising summer tours to Xiaomeisha in Yantian District. Previously, many netizens complained about Zhou's smug, lopsided smile set against a bright blue-and-yellow background. "There's no way to avoid this man, whichever Metro station I go to," one netizen posted. "Why can't Metro ads be a little more subtle?"

Some ads at Houhai Station have been replaced.

Many others agreed that some Metro advertisements were visually overwhelming, citing overly intense colors and excessive density that created an unpleasant experience for daily commuters.

Shenzhen Metro responded promptly: "We hear you! We'll fix it right away!" The company stated that the criticisms are valuable and reflect the public's growing expectations for higher-quality urban public spaces. They noted that while the controversial ads were legally compliant, they caused visual annoyance in the enclosed, high-frequency environment of public transit.

The operator is conducting station-by-station inspections across its 15 lines, promising to remove eyesore ads featuring rough design, glaring color combinations, and excessive repetitive placement.

A netizen complains about the Yupao ad.

At Houhai Station, the complained-about ads in the transfer corridors will be gradually removed between July and September. Similar visuals at Gangxia North Station will also be optimized starting this month.

Shenzhen Metro also pledged to introduce a "one station, one color scheme" initiative to improve the aesthetics of metro advertisements.

The column wrapping ads in Houhai Station have been replaced.

This is not the first time Shenzhen Metro has faced criticism over inappropriate ads. In August 2019, large condom advertisements at Houhai Station were pulled following public complaints. In 2020, an ad in Metro Line 1 carriages was removed for featuring the inappropriate tagline, "Dad, when I grow up I want to marry you." Then in March 2021, cartoon-style ads on Line 16 bearing the tagline "Don't make money like your life depends on it 

— otherwise your wife will remarry and your kids will get beaten" sparked strong public backlash and were quickly replaced with law publicity posters.