Lululemon Apologizes Over 2,000-Person Great Wall Event as Drum Uproar Tops 50 Million Weibo Views
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 17
Lululemon Apologizes Over 2,000-Person Great Wall Event as Drum Uproar Tops 50 Million Weibo Views
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 17
Summary
Lululemon posted a Weibo apology on Tuesday after a late-May Great Wall yoga festival drew backlash for using what users said was a Japanese taiko drum in a performance billed as Chinese.
More than 50 million Weibo views had gathered around the drum dispute by Monday, and actor Zhu Yilong’s studio publicly urged the brand to respond after he appeared with the instrument.
The company said it had meant to honor Chinese culture but lacked the expertise to spot the issue earlier, and it removed all drum-event content from its website and social media.
Hiiko, the drum troupe that performed with Zhu, also apologized as the episode underscored the reputational risks foreign brands face when marketing to Chinese cultural and political sensitivities.
That pressure has hit other brands before, including Arc’teryx over a Tibetan plateau fireworks promotion last year and Dolce & Gabbana after its 2018 Shanghai ad controversy.