US sneaker company Converse has apologized and removed a social media advertisement that sparked widespread criticism. The advert, posted on Instagram, featured South Korean K-pop star Karina, a member of girl group aespa, wearing a white skirt and holding a pair of black Converse sneakers. The image was part of a campaign promoting the Chuck 70 X sneaker, which was launched internationally on August 27.
Critics on social media pointed to a triangular shape created by the lighting on the skirt, saying it resembled the pointed hood associated with the Ku Klux Klan. Others said the position of the dangling sneakers evoked the feet of a person being lynched. The backlash prompted Converse to issue a statement, apologizing for the image and acknowledging that it was deeply upsetting.
Converse, which is owned by Nike, recognized that the image was problematic and said it had removed it from its own channels. The company is also working to take it down from other places where it had appeared. Converse described the shoe as part of a collaboration with Karina, who is one of the members of aespa.
The controversy drew attention to a separate Converse campaign in which sneakers were shown hanging from a tree branch while a person stood on a ladder below. Critics on social media similarly said the image evoked lynching imagery. This separate campaign was not directly addressed by Converse in their apology.
The backlash has prompted questions about how the advertisements were reviewed and approved before being published. Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who criticized the campaign online, argued that potentially offensive imagery should have been identified before the advertisements were released.
Converse has not publicly detailed its internal approval process for the advertisement, and Karina and her management company, SM Entertainment, have also not publicly commented on the controversy. The company has not said that the imagery was intended to reference the Ku Klux Klan or lynching.
The comparisons between the advertisement and Ku Klux Klan imagery were made by critics and social media users, while Converse has acknowledged that the image was deeply upsetting and apologized for it. The incident highlights the importance of sensitivity and careful review in advertising, particularly when it comes to imagery that could be perceived as racist or insensitive.
Key points
- Converse apologized and removed the advertisement after critics said it evoked Ku Klux Klan and lynching imagery.
- The controversy drew attention to a separate Converse campaign that also featured potentially problematic imagery.
- The incident highlights the importance of sensitivity and careful review in advertising.
