The commentary questioned why the fireworks display was approved in the first place, stressing that Tibet’s ecosystem is so fragile that any damage would be hard to reverse.
It added that laws protecting the Tibetan plateau were introduced for this reason, describing the safeguarding of the region’s environment as a “red line that must not be crossed”.
The commentary also questioned whether the project was approved because of Cai’s “celebrity” status, highlighting that a similar project at Japan’s Mount Fuji had been rejected over environmental concerns.
As blowback mounted, local authorities in Shigatse said on Sunday that they had set up an investigation team and would take follow-up action based on its findings.
“OUT OF LINE”
Both Arc’teryx and Cai have publicly apologised and pledged to cooperate with the authorities on environmental reviews.
Arc’teryx has taken down the video of the fireworks display and issued apologies in both English and Chinese on its social media accounts.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, the company said the display was “out of line” with its values.
“This event was in direct opposition to our commitment to outdoor spaces, who we are and who we want to be for our people and our community. We are deeply disappointed this happened, and apologise, full stop,” it wrote.
Arc’teryx added that it was addressing the matter directly with the “local artist involved” and its “team in China”, and would change the way it worked to ensure such an incident did not happen again.
Its Chinese statement on WeChat was worded differently, with Arc’teryx saying the project was intended to highlight local highland culture through the artist’s creative expression.
The company added that under the authorities’ supervision, it is committed to cooperating with the artist’s team to review the project’s environmental impact, and will also engage third-party environmental organisations to conduct an assessment.
The discrepancy between the two statements has sparked fresh criticism, with some netizens accusing the brand of shifting the blame squarely onto its China team.
“Please don’t frame this as just the ‘China team’s fault’. Arc’teryx is one global brand – you are responsible for what your brand does in every region,” read one Instagram comment on Arc’teryx’s apology post. The remark itself has drawn thousands of likes.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/arcteryx-ad-stunt-tibet-fireworks-cai-guoqiang-backlash-apologies-5361691
