Converse has apologised and withdrawn a sneaker advertisement after facing widespread criticism over imagery that viewers said evoked the Ku Klux Klan and the history of racial lynching in the United States.
The advertisement, part of a campaign promoting the Chuck 70 X sneaker in collaboration with K-pop star Karina of aespa, showed the singer wearing a white skirt-like garment while holding black Converse sneakers.
Critics argued that the lighting created a triangular shape resembling the pointed hood associated with the KKK, while the position of the sneakers appeared to evoke images of a person being hanged. Converse removed the image from its social media platforms and said it was working to take it down wherever else it appeared.
The Nike-owned company said it understood why the image was deeply upsetting and acknowledged that it had made a mistake.
The controversy has renewed scrutiny of advertising approval processes and the responsibility of major brands to identify potentially offensive imagery before campaigns are released.
Neither Karina nor her management team has publicly commented on the controversy. Converse has also not provided further details about how the advertisement passed its internal review process.
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