Luyuan apologised after a 'lunch break' ad showed a model in a tight skirt and stockings

In early 2026, Chinese electric scooter maker Luyuan (绿源) ran a short-video campaign built around a '午休教程' (lunch break tutorial) concept. The video featured a model wearing a body-hugging skirt and sheer stockings, a framing many viewers read as suggestive '擦边' (edge-playing) marketing rather than a genuine product tutorial.

The campaign sparked a wave of online criticism. Luyuan responded with a public apology, removed the offending videos across all platforms, and announced it had started a full content self-review and rectification (全平台内容自查与整改). The state-run People's Daily even ran an editorial titled '莫把擦边当捷径' ('Don't treat edge-playing as a shortcut'), a signal that the practice had come under establishment scrutiny.

For Luyuan — a company with billions in annual revenue — the episode turned a routine product video into a reputational crisis that required a coordinated retreat and a promise to tighten advertising review. The cost was not a fine but a damaged brand signal and a public admission that its ad vetting had let a risqué video through in the first place.