Swatch has removed an ad in China that showed an Asian model pulling the corners of his eyes following backlash online.
The image was published as part of a campaign that ran on social media platforms in the country, including Weibo, which has over 580 million users.
However, many commentators said the pose appeared to mimic the racist “slanted eye” gesture, historically used to mock Asian people.
On Saturday (16 August), Swatch apologized in a statement issued on Instagram and Weibo. The brand said it had “taken note of recent concerns regarding the portrayal of a model” and confirmed it had removed the images.
“We sincerely apologize for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused,” the statement concluded.
