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Just in case anyone had forgotten that China is governed by a communist regime—a thought that, in light of the luxury market boom and heaps of money being made in the country these days, may have easily been set aside—the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce has begun to enforce a new policy banning outdoor ads that use "certain terms celebrating opulence and high-end living," reports WWD.
The move “will target advertisements that ‘promote hedonism’ or ‘the worship of foreign-made products,’?” the newspaper said. Thus far, it appears the actual change relates to banning the use of certain words on outdoor advertising like billboards. These include “supreme,” “royal,” “luxury” or “high class”—words frequently seen on Beijing’s multitudinous billboards.· Out of Luxe: Beijing Bans 'High Class' Billboards [WWD]