I guess it need a Chinese to explain everything.

Yes it is true that 8 is a lucky number, however 8 is lucky because Cantonese speak 8 like "Fa", the same sound as another character which means "becoming rich", and only after 1990s did the number become popular in North China, because Canton province (include Hong Kong area) were the first to open up to westerners and Cantonese became rich first. So in Cantonese G8 is OK...

In the Mandarin which were mostly spoken in North China and enforced by the government as an official language the number 8 pronounces as "Ba". Combines G and 8 it will sound like "Gee - Ba" which sounds exactly like male's sexual organ, or "dxxk".

Imagine the "dxxk" is said again and again in a Canon's shop everyday... "I want to buy a dxxk" "I just bought a dxxk", that will absolutely kick off a lot of Asian female buyers

Somebody upstairs asked about number "4". Yes in Feng Shui "4" is considered unlucky. However combines 4 with English letters such as D-Lux 4 and G4 the number 4 means nothing. Besides the number 4 does not frighten out new generations because the death is too far away from them.

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Funny enough, FYI, Nikon has a series of accessories codes which often makes Chinese lol:

Nikon's out flash lamp code is SB, e.g. SB800. SB in North China is an abbreviation of "Sha-Bi" which means "stupid woman's private part"... Bad enough..

Nikon's handle's code is MB, which is an abbrev. of "Ma-Bi" which means "your mum's private part", even worse... 🙁 the remote control of Nikon is coded as ML, which is a new word to new generation Chinese but is an abbrev. of "make love"

Nikon's anti-Dispersion is called ED-xyz, which, because of one Chinese film, the ED in medical is widely known as an abbrev. of "erection disabled"......

Localization is IMPORTANT...