BURBERRY’S latest advertising campaign to usher in the upcoming Chinese New Year has been widely ridiculed on social media.

The advertisement, unveiled by the British fashion label last Thursday, featured eight solemn-looking models in a family portrait that aimed to celebrate “togetherness” and “family traditions” for the festival on Feb. 5.

However, many Net users noted that the photo lacked the festive cheer typical of China’s most revered holiday and criticized the images as “creepy” and “weird.”

Titled “Modern Tradition,” the campaign was directed by American photographer Ethan James Green and features Chinese actresses Zhao Wei and Zhou Dongyu.

The prominent stars made their debut as Burberry’s new brand ambassadors in the campaign. The models were seen wearing the brand’s classic trench coats, monogram scarves as well as urban staples including hoodies, T-shirts and joggers.

“Inspired by classic portraiture, the campaign is reimagined in an informal urban environment, juxtaposing the old and the new, the traditional and the contemporary,” the brand said in an online news release. “A portrait of togetherness, gathering the cross generations of family for a seasonal celebration,” the company said on a Twitter post.

The festive message fell flat with many Net users on Chinese microblogging site Weibo.

Some said the creepy family portrait “made them uncomfortable.” One even said the image looked like “a family plotting to kill their rich grandma and fight over the inheritance.”

“Chinese New Year is a time for family reunions, joy and luck. These people look like actors in a horror movie,” another said.

“Did someone die over Christmas?” asked one user on Twitter.

“All that black!!! We’d be kicked out of the house if we were dressed like this. It’s not a funeral,” another commented.

One user even described the photo as “the new Addams Family with Chinese characteristics.”

Burberry is in the middle of a repositioning as a “higher” luxury label, meaning it can charge a higher price for its products, a move initiated by chief executive Marco Gobbetti after he took on the role in 2017, according to CNBC.

The company has 200 stores and concessions in the Asia-Pacific region.

This isn’t the first time a Western luxury brand has caused controversy in China for misrepresenting Chinese traditions. In November, Dolce & Gabbana was accused of racism after releasing a video series called “Eating with Chopsticks,” where a model was seen trying to eat a pizza, a large cannoli, and spaghetti with chopsticks in the clips. (SD-Agencies)