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Chinese bubble tea chain Good Me faced heavy backlash after releasing a controversial marketing video that publicly humiliated its employees. The ad, posted on Xiaohongshu, was intended to emphasize service quality but quickly drew outrage from netizens.
In the video, employees were shown standing with their heads lowered, wrists bound by makeshift "cuffs" made from cup holders. Signs around their necks listed minor mistakes, such as “forgetting a straw” or “failing to add nuts,” along with the phrase “I am guilty.” The caption ominously stated, “This is a warning. Next time... there won’t be a next time.”
The video sparked immediate outrage, with many accusing Good Me of dehumanizing its workers. Some compared the scene to historical public shaming tactics, calling the company’s actions exploitative and abusive. “Even in ancient times, criminals didn’t have to wear signs like this,” one comment read, gaining over 15,000 likes.
Good Me quickly took down the video and issued an apology, explaining that the ad was meant to be a humorous reference to a popular Douyin trend where people mockingly say “I am guilty” while using cup holders as handcuffs. Despite the apology, the public’s anger persisted, and legal experts weighed in on the potential violations.
The controversy continues to cast a shadow on Good Me, which is China’s second-largest bubble tea chain. This incident comes amid increasing competition in the beverage industry, with many companies under pressure to cut costs, often at the expense of employee well-being.
