Shameful tale of sex, lies, and videotape

A "sex video" allegedly recorded in a fitting room of a clothes store in Beijing's Sanlitun area has gone viral after being uploaded on the Internet on July 14. The 1-minute video showing a man and a woman having sex has reportedly been shared millions of times on social media platforms like Weibo and WeChat.

Local media outlets say Uniqlo, the store where the video was supposedly recorded, has seen a sharp increase in footfalls since Wednesday, with many people taking photographs in front of the building. Uniqlo, however, has issued a statement denying that the incident is a publicity stunt, and advising customers to "properly use its fitting rooms".

Sex sells. But it is highly unlikely that a reputable company will use explicit sex videos to boost sales. Such companies know full well that cheap gimmicks will bring some instant added business, but in the long run they can be damaging.