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The campaign, titled "Obsession: The Sugar-Coated Trap," featured four AI-generated K-pop-style female idols named Weedy, Coke, Icy and Little E, representing cannabis, cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and etomidate respectively. The colourful music-video format included catchy lyrics promoting the supposed "benefits" of each drug before ending with a warning about addiction and imprisonment. However, many viewers said the upbeat presentation overshadowed the intended anti-drug message.
Following public backlash, the CSD removed the original video and released a shorter version that introduced the warning much earlier. In the revised edit, the AI idols rapidly transformed into elderly men before ending up in prison alongside the message that drugs destroy lives. Despite the changes, the second version also received criticism and was eventually removed.
Ironically, the campaign became an internet sensation. The AI idols inspired memes, parody videos, fan art, stickers and even unofficial photo cards, with many users joking that the government had accidentally created a marketable virtual K-pop group.
The CSD later apologised, acknowledging shortcomings in the production and promising to review its social media approval process. Officials explained that the video was produced entirely in-house using AI without additional public spending and was intended to appeal to younger audiences by portraying drugs as "poison wrapped in a sugar-coated package."
The incident also revived memories of another failed Hong Kong anti-drug campaign earlier in 2026, when a public banner unintentionally appeared to encourage drug use because of its layout. Together, the incidents highlight the challenges governments face when using AI and modern internet culture in public education campaigns.
Social media & forum discussion
The campaign quickly became a viral topic.
Many users joked that the government had "accidentally debuted the hottest AI idol group."
Others criticised the campaign for making the drugs appear attractive before presenting the warning.
Several comments praised the government's quick apology despite the communication failure.
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The AI idols' images spread rapidly with memes and edited music videos.
Users debated whether shock marketing had gone too far.
Many described it as a classic example of AI-generated content lacking human judgement.
Hong Kong news pages attracted thousands of reactions.
Comments were split between finding the campaign hilarious and questioning the effectiveness of government messaging.
Meme accounts and pop culture pages reposted screenshots of the AI idols.
Fan edits made the characters resemble genuine K-pop groups.
TikTok
Clips of the music video circulated widely.
Creators lip-synced the songs, recreated choreography and joked that the campaign had become free promotion instead of prevention.
Threads
Discussions focused on the risks of relying on AI for public campaigns.
Many argued creative ideas still require strong human oversight.
HardwareZone
Users viewed the incident humorously.
Discussions centred on how AI-generated marketing can backfire when messaging is poorly executed.
Overall sentiment
Online sentiment is overwhelmingly humorous but critical. Most people agree the campaign failed as an anti-drug message because its attractive visuals and catchy songs overshadowed the warning. However, the CSD earned some praise for acknowledging the mistake quickly, with many viewing the episode as a cautionary lesson on balancing AI, creativity and clear public communication.
