For anyone not up with current ‘love’ affairs, this week saw the release of a 1 minute video taken by a couple of young scamps whilst they did sex things in a UNIQLO f***ing room.
After its initial release and spread over Weibo/WeChat the Great Firewall of China went into overdrive trying to remove all copies, but as we all know the internet never sleeps and a sex tape is the Lernaean Hydra of content i.e. this video will echo throughout eternity and outlive us all.
The brand made a public statement:
“As a responsible international brand, Uniqlo… would like to ask consumers to abide by social ethics, maintain social justice and correctly and properly use the fitting spaces provided by Uniqlo stores. We also firmly deny some online allegations saying the video our publicity stunt.”
And the store in question – which was identified as their Sanlitun flagship thanks to a loudspeaker announcement made during the 
– has now become a famous landmark with many people making the pilgrimage to selfie before it.
Uniqlo selfie stampede still going strong this afternoon in Beijing pic.twitter.com/2Jg6dbLzVv
— Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsin) July 16, 2015
Dozens of chinese make selfie in front of Uniqlo after the viral smartphone video #sextape in #UNIQLO , in #beijing pic.twitter.com/aNGsSlHcuO
— dufour (@freddufour_afp) July 15, 2015
Xu Feng, a director at The Cyberspace Administration of China, has since said “the vulgar video had spread like a virus online and clashed with socialist core values” and that the government would “continue to crack down on vulgar materials online and safeguard the cyber environment.”
In related news, this comes soon after hundreds of workers at Shenzhen Artigas Clothing & Leatherware, which supplies garments to UNIQLO China, went on strike to protest a factory closure and fight for their rights.
Beijing police have now started an investigation into the spread of the video and who made it.
At least one segment of Chinese society are on board, though, with “want to go shopping at UNIQLO?” already becoming the kewl new pickup line amongst the youth and sxc novelty tees springing up at Taobao and Tmall; they’re quickly being tracked down, so anyone wanting one should get it while its hot and heavy. Meanwhile, some faceless WeChat user also thought it would be cute to get a commemorative tatt:
Title image via Getty by ChinaFotoPress.
via The Guardian.
