'Soft advertisement' (ruǎn guǎng) refers to promotional content deliberately designed to appear non-commercial and blend naturally into regular media — such as a lifestyle blogger casually mentioning a skincare product while sharing a morning routine, or a TV drama character using a branded phone without scripted endorsement. Unlike hard ads (yìng guǎng), which are overt, labeled, and interruptive, soft ads rely on subtlety, storytelling, and contextual integration to build brand familiarity without triggering audience resistance.

The term combines 软 (ruǎn, 'soft, gentle') — indicating low intrusiveness and high adaptability — and 广 (guǎng, short for 广告, 'advertisement'). It’s widely used in digital marketing, influencer collaborations, and entertainment media across China. While effective, ethical concerns sometimes arise when soft ads aren’t clearly disclosed, blurring the line between genuine content and paid promotion.