Imagine you’re just minding your own business, slurping your favorite bowl of noodles, when a film crew tells you to get out. Why? Because a famous actor needs your table for a promotional shot.
This actually happened in Yuzhou, China. A celebrity was invited to film a spot to boost the local food scene, but the crew completely misread the room. When the shop got too crowded, they started kicking paying customers out.
The internet? It didn’t hold back. The backlash was so fast that the local cultural bureau had to issue a formal apology, calling the crew’s behavior “tone-deaf and heavy-handed.”
Now, everyone’s comparing this to when Nvidia’s Jensen Huang stopped by a local spot in Beijing. He just sat down, ate his noodles, and kept it chill. It’s a masterclass in PR: people don’t want a show — they want authenticity.
Sometimes, the best way to promote a city isn’t by clearing out the locals — it’s by letting them finish their meal.
Influencer marketing 101 — perhaps, what NOT to do.