A company in Qingdao, Shandong province recently launched a limited edition line of water bottles whose labels are printed with the information and photos of missing children. With the aim of raising awareness to help bring the lost children home, the firm explained that they hope consumers can offer useful clues. Nevertheless, the move has been controversial, as some consumers doubt the company's intentions.

According to the company’s general manager, surnamed Li, this reward policy was inspired by movies about missing children in 2015. Li and his staff were deeply moved by those movies, which inspired them to come up with the water bottle idea. The company obtained information about the missing children - with the permission of the children's parents - from Baobeihuijia, the largest website for missing children in China. The company has also promised a 100,000-RMB reward for anyone who successfully brings a missing child home.

Moreover, the firm plans to expand their "missing children bottles" to the entire country, and eventually establish a foundation to help look for the children. However, the bottles have not yet yielded any useful clues.

What they have done is cause heated public debate. On one hand, some believe the campaign qualifies as an incredible act of public service. Meanwhile, detractors argue that it is nothing more than a publicity stunt, made all the more shameful by how the campaign plays on people's emotions.

“It is a charity,” said Yang Daobo, the deputy dean and professor of Liaocheng University's law school. Yang added that, given the authorization the company received from Baobeihuijia and the children's parents, this marketing strategy is legal and admirable. The only possible legal issue is if the water company fails to follow through on its offered reward.