The popular Moomin brand, known for its diverse and lovable characters, recently cut ties with Japanese cosmetics company DHC – only one day after announcing their new Moomin x DHC cosmetics collab!
Moomin Cuts Ties With DHC Mid-Collab
Moomin Characters Oy Ltd announced their collaboration with DHC on August 23, featuring limited-edition Moomin-themed lip balms and hand creams. However, only a day later, the products were quickly pulled after Moomin fans from around the globe flooded their feeds, bringing awareness to what many would call a problematic partnership.
Commenters called it a “shocking collaboration”, criticizing DHC as a company that “does not match the world views” of the Moomin brand. This criticism, however, didn’t just appear out of nowhere.
The Internet Never Forgets
DHC is no stranger to controversy, especially regarding diversity and equality – something the Moomin brand is all about. And the Moomin fan base was not about to let everyone forget.
DHC Chairman Yoshiaki’s offense came in November 2020, in a (now-deleted) Twitter ad that bashed competitor brand Suntory (for promoting diversity) while openly using a racial slur against Koreans. The ad ended with the statement: “DHCは起用タレントをはじめ、すべてが純粋な日本人です。(DHC consists purely of Japanese people, starting with its talent).”
DHC faced immediate backlash from Japanese Twitter at the time. It even sparked the hashtag trend #差別企業DHCの商品は買いません (“we won’t buy products from discriminatory DHC”).
Today, the trend picked up once again as a reminder: the internet never forgets.
Moomin Brand in Japan Embraces Diversity
It clearly upset the Moomin fan base to see one of their beloved beacons of diversity partnering with known nationalists.
After receiving a number of comments from concerned fans, Rights and Brands President Kumiko Ito told Asahi Shimbun, “Neither the Moomin Characters brand in their home country nor in Japan will tolerate discrimination of any kind. This was a lack of knowledge on our part. I deeply apologize for any discomfort we have caused our fans.”
「認識が甘い部分があった。不快に思っている方に申し訳ない」
Rights and Brands President Kumiko Ito
(“This was a lack of knowledge on our part. I deeply apologize for any discomfort we have caused”)
A Moomin brand representative also responded to a similar email with the same response: “We will not tolerate any discrimination.”
The company immediately instructed its Japanese agents to discontinue all partnerships with DHC, including future contract renewals. Soon after, the entire product page was pulled from the official Moomin website, leaving nothing more than a broken link.
(In typical DHC fashion, their PR department replied, “We will refrain from commenting on this matter.”)
Moomin Brand Official Statement
On August 24th, the company issued an official statement via the official Moomin website and Twitter account:
Official Statement Translation:
“Important notice from the Moomin Official Website:
To everyone who values Moomin,
We thank you for your continued patronage of Moomin goods, and sincerely apologize for any discomfort caused by some of the products we chose to license.
The Moomin Characters brand of Finland, their home country, is strongly against the promotion and tolerance of any and all discrimination, and we uphold the same beliefs. We embrace the ideas of the original author Tove Jansson, who acknowledged and respected the coexistence of all kinds.
In the future, we promise to thoroughly examine human rights, in addition to confirming any antisocial involvement, at the time of licensing. In the event a contract is made with a company that doesn’t openly express these views, we will promptly suspend contract renewal should such views become evident.
We take the diverse voices that echo through the Moomin official website very seriously. Our company values the feelings of Moomin as well as those who love Moomin, and we will work together with you to continue to share the Moomin worldview.
We look forward to your continued support.”
(Translated by Krys Suzuki)
Moomin’s Presence in Japan
The Moomin brand is based on popular stories by Finnish author, Tove Jansson, and has a HUGE fanbase in Japan. Moomin goods line just about any Japanese department store. Japan also boasts several Moomin cafes and even its very own Moomin theme park!
According to The Japan Times, “Japan accounts for almost 50 percent of the global ‘Moomin market’. Japan has more Moomin fans than any other country and the Moomins are among the most popular and familiar fictional characters in Japan for people of all ages”. As you can see, Moomin in Japan is a pretty big deal!
But regardless of which country Moomin fans hail from, one thing is clear. The Moomin brand is especially popular for its diverse worldview and unique characters!
The Moomin World View: Diversity
Moomin author Tove Jansson based her life, as well as her stories, on “timeless values, tolerance, and love above all. Respecting the diversity of life, acceptance, and appreciation” were self-evident to her, as we can see through her Moomin stories.
The company’s response is also a clear reflection of Jansson’s beliefs, and their dedication to the true Moomin Worldview.
