Outdoor brand “Pioneer Bird,” in cooperation with Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang, held a fireworks show on September 19, which led to its parent company, Amerifin Sports, losing 15 billion RMB in market value at the opening on September 22. This event also caused its holding company, Anta Sports, to lose 12.5 billion Hong Kong dollars in market value.
The stock price of Pioneer Bird’s parent company, Amerifin Sports, listed in the U.S., plummeted from $37.45 at the closing on Friday, September 19, to as low as $33.48 per share before the market opened on Monday, a drop of over 11%, instantly evaporating 2.15 billion USD in market value, approximately 15.3 billion RMB.
As a result, Anta Sports’ stock price in Hong Kong also saw a significant drop on September 22, closing 4.60% lower at 92.35 Hong Kong dollars, causing the company’s market value to evaporate by 12.5 billion Hong Kong dollars.
The controversy stemmed from a promotional event of Pioneer Bird on September 19, in collaboration with artist Cai Guoqiang, where a fireworks show named “Soaring Dragon” was held in the Himalayas at altitudes ranging from 4600 to 5050 meters, creating a visual spectacle of “flying dragons.”
Many netizens criticized the event as a “controlled fire” in a fragile ecological area, despite the environmentally friendly materials used for the fireworks and the location not being within a protected ecological zone nor inhabited by people. However, the bright lights, loud noises, and use of environmental materials could still potentially disrupt the ecology.
The event led to a public relations crisis for Pioneer Bird, known for its eco-friendly technology, tarnishing its image as an environmental leader.
Regarding the environmental controversy of the event, Tibet’s “Cloud Everest” WeChat account released a situation report on September 21, stating that the government of Xigaze City has formed an investigation team to verify the situation on site.
On September 21, Pioneer Bird issued an apology letter on its official Weibo account and also released a statement on Instagram. Cai Guoqiang also issued an apology statement. However, the WeChat public account “Pao Pao You Wen” reported that on the day of the fireworks show on September 19, both Pioneer Bird and Cai Guoqiang quickly deleted related Weibo posts and videos, but did not respond in the face of extensive criticism on September 20.
Pioneer Bird, originally a Canadian brand, was acquired along with its parent company Amerifin Sports by the mainland company Anta Group in 2019. Amerifin Sports successfully went public in the U.S. in 2024, with a total market value exceeding 20 billion USD at the end of the last trading day.
Pioneer Bird, regarded as one of the “Three Treasures of the Middle Class” and the “Hermès of the Outdoors Circle,” positions its products in the mid to high-end range, with prices ranging from 4,500 to 20,000 RMB for jackets.
Initially known for its focus on “performance,” “professionalism,” and “environmental protection,” Pioneer Bird shifted its strategy towards social media exposure and influence after being acquired by Anta, expanding its impact through limited editions, collaborations, and trends to establish itself as a “sporting luxury brand.”
In 2022, the joint collaboration of Pioneer Bird with Gucci triggered a buying frenzy; in 2023, it debuted the Urban Lifestyle series at Shanghai Fashion Week; in 2024, the limited edition Down jacket collaboration with Takashi Murakami, priced 70% higher than regular items, quickly sold out.
The long-term strategic shift of Pioneer Bird, identified by WeChat public account “Yi Wu Observation,” inevitably led to a conflict with its core values. The “Soaring Dragon” incident was just the tipping point where the contradictions fully erupted, resulting in self-inflicted harm to the brand’s values.
According to “Yi Wu Observation,” Pioneer Bird’s attempt to align with luxury brands highlighted the shallowness of luxury marketing, focusing on hunger marketing, symbol consumption, and limited styles. True luxury is based on craftsmanship heritage and cultural deposition, not on the pursuit of fleeting traffic.
Online discussions continue to brew controversy over Pioneer Bird’s “high price does not equal high quality.” The investigation by China News Network’s “People’s Livelihood Investigation Bureau” found that many consumers who spent thousands on Pioneer Bird products encountered quality issues like shoes falling apart, jackets bulging and pilling, and clothing logos peeling off.
This large-scale marketing event by Pioneer Bird occurred amidst its slowing revenue growth. According to Amerifin Sports’ financial report for the second quarter of 2025, Pioneer Bird’s technical apparel department generated 508.9 million USD in revenue, a 23% increase year-over-year but significantly lower than the 28% in Q1 2024 and 34% in the same period in 2023.
Pioneer Bird attempted to replicate the “successful experience” of cross-border marketing but was scrutinized by netizens for potentially imitating a brand event by outdoor brand Mammut in the Alps a decade ago. Mammut’s event, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the first ascent of the Matterhorn, garnered praise from professionals and the general public, raising the brand to an industry benchmark.
“Pao Pao You Wen” believes that during Mammut’s event, there was minimal noise pollution, light pollution, and airborne dust pollution to respect the boundaries between humans and nature, outdoors and art. However, in the case of Pioneer Bird’s event, there was significant noise pollution, light pollution, and widespread dust pollution, potentially breaching those boundaries.
Moreover, Pioneer Bird’s fireworks show with Cai Guoqiang’s team in the Himalayas was deemed to cause environmental pollution and ecological damage.
Science writer Xiang Dongliang, who led a scientific expedition team in Tibet’s Nyingchi region, pointed out that there are three aspects of severe environmental impact. Firstly, non-native substances can disrupt the ecosystem. Materials foreign to the ecosystem can be catastrophic for wildlife near Lhasa. The issue is not about biodegradability; foreign substances themselves constitute a disaster.
Secondly, the mountain where fireworks were set off is a typical high-altitude grassland ecosystem. If a species in a specific ecological niche has a problem, it can be challenging to balance or compensate for the ecological loss.
Thirdly, after the fireworks display, Cai Guoqiang’s team artificially cleared and turned the soil to cover up the colored powder residue left by the fireworks, essentially uprooting all vegetation in these areas! In the high-altitude zone, natural restoration will take decades or even centuries.
Furthermore, on social media, terms like “environmental showmanship” and “value collapse” have become popular. Weibo hot searches and Xiaohongshu notes are questioning: when a brand, for marketing purposes, recklessly damages the most vulnerable natural ecology, what right does it have to speak of sustainability?
Amidst a wave of skepticism, Pioneer Bird’s marketing mishap not only tarnished the reputation of a single event but shattered the trust in the entire brand’s values.