Swatch apologizes over ‘slant-eye’ ad after backlash in China
A Swatch advertisement featuring a model making a racist gesture mocking Asians has sparked controversy in China. Captured from Weibo
Swiss watch brand Swatch has issued an apology after featuring a model making the “slant-eye” gesture — widely recognized as a racist insult against Asians — in a recent advertising campaign.
The controversy has sparked outrage in China, its largest market in Asia, where calls for a boycott are spreading.
According to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post and other Chinese media on Monday, the company released promotional photos for its “Swatch Essential” series showing an Asian male model pulling the corners of his eyes outward with his fingers.
The gesture, long used in the West as a derogatory stereotype mocking Asians for their eye shape has previously landed global fashion houses in similar scandals. French luxury label Dior, for instance, faced heavy criticism in April 2023 for directing an Asian female model to pose in the same way.
The backlash in China was immediate and fierce. The photo was uploaded to Swatch’s official Chinese website but was quickly bombarded with criticism.
On Weibo, the country’s major social media platform, some users demanded a full boycott of the brand, while others argued that Swatch should be forced to withdraw entirely from the Chinese market.
In response, Swatch Group posted an apology on Weibo. “We treat this matter with the utmost importance and have immediately removed all related materials worldwide. We sincerely apologise for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused," it said.
The company added that it regretted causing offense and vowed to take greater care in future campaigns.
Despite the apology, observers say it remains unclear whether the move will be enough to calm public anger and salvage the brand’s reputation in China.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.