Swatch pulls “slanted eye” ad after Chinese social media uproar

Swiss watchmaker Swatch has apologized and removed an ad featuring a model pulling the corners of his eyes after the image prompted accusations of racism and calls for a boycott on Chinese social media.

Internet users slammed the “slanted eye” gesture made by the Asian male model as racist.

In a post on Instagram and Chinese social media platform Weibo on Saturday, Swatch acknowledged the “recent concerns regarding the portrayal of a model” in the ad and said it had deleted the promotional material worldwide.

“We sincerely apologize for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused,” the company wrote.

Many online weren’t content with the company’s response and continued to call for boycotting Swatch Group brands, which include Blancpain, Longines and Tissot.

A user with more than one million followers on the giant Chinese social media site Weiblo accused Swatch of “racism against Chinese” and suggested the firm should be punished by regulators.

Others accused Swatch of deliberate discrimination and urged consumers to boycott the company.

“The brand’s image has collapsed. (Swatch) thinks they can just apologize and salvage everything? It’s not that simple,” another user wrote.

China is one of Swatch Group’s biggest markets.

But along with many other Western luxury brands, the watchmaker has struggled to maintain growth as the world’s second largest economy has slowed and consumers have shifted to more affordable brands.

VEJA  Shock footage shows passenger slap woman for refusing to give up seat at airport sparking furious row

In July, the group reported an 11.2 percent drop in net sales for the first six months of the year.

It said the slump was “exclusively attributable” to sluggish demand in China.

Swatch isn’t the first foreign brand to face accusations of racist advertising in China.

Italian luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana was heavily criticized in 2018 after it posted promotional videos showing a Chinese model awkwardly using chopsticks to eat Italian food.

In 2023, French brand Dior also sparked uproar with an advertisement showing a model pulling up the corner of her eye. 

Postagem recentes

DEIXE UMA RESPOSTA

Por favor digite seu comentário!
Por favor, digite seu nome aqui

Stay Connected

0FãsCurtir
0SeguidoresSeguir
0InscritosInscrever
Publicidade

Vejá também

EcoNewsOnline
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.