Lululemon athletica (LULU) has apologized after a promotional yoga event held on the Great Wall of China drew criticism on Chinese social media over the alleged use of a Japanese drum during the performance, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.
The company, which featured Chinese actor Zhu Yilong at the event in late May, posted on Weibo that it had failed to identify potential cultural sensitivities during the planning process, the report said.
Lululemon had removed all related promotional content and acknowledged it should have been more cautious and thorough, according to the report.
The controversy emerged after percussionist Xu Yang posted a video analyzing the drum used at the event, prompting accusations online that the instrument was Japanese.
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