On Says It Is “Listening and Learning” in China After Mbappé Misstep

The sportswear label is working through an ambassador moment in a key growth market, just as it pushes harder into football.

When your most famous face makes a wrong step in the market you most want to win, the first thing you say matters. For On, the sportswear label with a luxury-leaning following, that line is “listening and learning”. The brand is using it in China after a misstep involving Kylian Mbappé, its face.

The timing is awkward in the way brand timing often is. On is pushing into football, and China is a key growth market for the company. A celebrity ambassador is meant to open doors in a market like that, so any stumble there gets noticed.

A measured response

The phrase On chose is worth a closer look. It is not a defence, and it is not a dramatic apology. “Listening and learning” says the brand is paying attention to Chinese consumers and is in no hurry to escalate. For a label with a premium positioning, a quiet register suits the moment.

Why it matters beyond one incident

Premium sportswear now works much like luxury. Brands pay for ambassadors who carry aspiration, and in return they take on the risk that comes with a very visible person. Football multiplies both the reach and the exposure. A player of Mbappé’s profile brings enormous attention to a brand’s football ambitions. He also puts its name into conversations it doesn’t control.

How On handles the weeks ahead will say more than the incident did. It has started with a tone that leaves room for a considered next step.

Via FashionNetwork