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Swatch apologises, pulls ad after backlash over racist gesture in China
The controversy stemmed from an image that featured a model pulling the corners of his eyes—a gesture widely condemned as a racial slur mocking Asian features.
The ad drew swift criticism online, with many Chinese users calling it offensive and demanding a boycott of the brand.
Swiss watchmaker Swatch has issued a public apology and withdrawn an advertisement from its ESSENTIALS collection campaign after facing heavy backlash on Chinese social media. The controversy stemmed from an image that featured a model pulling the corners of his eyes—a gesture widely condemned as a racial slur mocking Asian features.
The ad drew swift criticism online, with many Chinese users calling it offensive and demanding a boycott of the brand.
In response, Swatch posted an apology on Instagram, stating, “We have taken note of the recent concerns regarding the portrayal of a model in images for the Swatch ESSENTIALS Collection. We treat this matter with utmost importance and have immediately removed all related materials worldwide.”
Swatch, which also owns luxury brands like Omega, Longines, and Tissot, is heavily reliant on the Chinese market, making the controversy particularly damaging. According to a media report, this incident adds to a growing list of cultural missteps by global brands in China.
In the past, companies like Nike, Adidas, and H&M faced backlash in 2021 over their stance against alleged forced labor in Xinjiang. More recently, in 2024, Uniqlo came under fire after stating it did not source cotton from the region.
A similar uproar occurred in 2018 when Dolce & Gabbana released a campaign featuring a Chinese model struggling to eat Italian food with chopsticks. That campaign was widely condemned as racist, leading to pulled products, a cancelled fashion show in Shanghai, and major damage to the brand’s reputation in China.
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