Canadian outdoor clothing brand Arc’teryx is facing heavy backlash in China after staging a controversial fireworks display in Tibet, a region both ecologically fragile and culturally sensitive.
The display, staged on 19 September and designed by renowned pyrotechnics artist Cai Guo-Qiang, lit up the Shigatse foothills at more than 5,000 metres above sea level. Shaped to resemble a dragon, the event, called Rising Dragon, was meant to raise awareness of mountain culture.
Instead, it triggered an online firestorm. Critics said the explosions, smoke and colours would have disrupted local wildlife and contradicted Arc’teryx’s longstanding image as a conservation-first brand. Tibetans, for whom the Himalayas are sacred, also questioned how the stunt was approved in such a tightly controlled region.
Arc’teryx quickly issued a statement admitting the spectacle was “out of line with Arc’teryx’s values.” The company said the materials used were biodegradable and pledged to work with an external agency to assess the environmental impact.
“The public’s criticism has alerted us that the evaluation of the expression of art needs to be more professional and we need to be more humble and respectful of nature,” the brand said in its statement.
The apology did little to quell outraged social media users, however, with one commenter saying, “not something that can be forgiven with a single apology post”.
Guo-Qiang, who oversaw the fireworks for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, apologised separately, saying he would support recovery efforts in the area.
Arc’teryx, founded in 1989 and owned by Hong Kong-listed Anta Sports, operates more than 150 stores globally and is a favourite among climbers and outdoor enthusiasts. However, with its reputation closely tied to sustainability, the misstep has sparked boycott calls and prompted many to question whether art and brand spectacle should come at the expense of nature.
The Arc’teryx incident is the latest in a string of brand controversies showing how quickly missteps can escalate in a globalised, hyper-connected market.
In July, American Eagle came under fire for its “Great Jeans” campaign fronted by American actress Sydney Sweeney. The campaign drew accusations of racist and eugenics-coded messaging. While it boosted website traffic and drew praise from conservatives, analytics firms found store traffic fell by nearly 13 per cent in two weeks, with inclusivity experts labelling the ad “firmly rooted in the ideology of American whiteness.”
Swiss watchmaker Swatch was also hit by controversy this year, with a global campaign being pulled after using an image of a male model pulling the corners of his eyes, a pose widely condemned as ‘racist’. The fallout sparked boycott calls in China, a critical market for Swatch, and rattled its share price.
It is too early to tell the exact impact on Arc’teryx’s brand but with authenticity and cultural sensitivity more critical than ever before and in an era where consumers scrutinise brands for how they act as much as what they sell, missteps can spark outrage that no apology can easily extinguish.
