Swatch apologizes, pulls ‘slanted eye’ ad campaign amid backlash
Global News
The controversy is the latest in a series of challenges for the Swiss watch brand, including a stark drop in share value, which has fallen by almost half since 2023.
The Swiss watch brand Swatch issued an apology and pulled a recent ad campaign after customers in China condemned the imagery, which they say incorporated “slanted eye,” a racist gesture.
In an image for the Swatch Essentials collection, an Asian male model is shown pulling the edges of his eyelids upward and backward with his fingers — an action widely seen as derogatory and racially discriminatory against Asian people.
The company pulled the international campaign from all its platforms on Monday, writing on Instagram, “We sincerely apologize for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused.”
“We treat this matter with the utmost importance and have immediately removed all related materials worldwide.”
The apology was also posted on the Chinese social network Weibo in Chinese and English, according to The Associated Press.
Some were left unimpressed by Swatch’s efforts to make amends.
“I can’t believe that such a large watch company could make such a careless mistake,” an Instagram user commented. “You should not bring discrimination against Asians into your product posters. This will only cause you to lose more Asian customers and bring no benefit. This cannot be forgiven.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted his European allies Thursday for what he portrayed as the continent’s slow, fragmented and inadequate response to Russia’s invasion nearly four years ago and its continued international aggression. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Zelenskyy listed a litany of grievances and criticisms of Europe that he said have left Ukraine at...
U.S.-based Estée Lauder is the flagship brand and parent company of Clinique, MAC Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone London, Aveda and Tom Ford among dozens of others.
Their feud took off after the U.S. billionaire called O'Leary an 'utter idiot' for brushing off Starlink on Ryanair planes, as well as an offer to purchase the budget airline.
New research out of Canada is pitching ideas for how to make the Winter Olympics and Paralympics more resilient to climate change.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, earlier admitted to killing Abe in July 2022 as the former prime minister was giving a campaign speech in the western city of Nara.
A yearlong push by the Trump administration to stop the fighting hasn’t yielded any breakthrough, despite the American president issuing a series of deadlines.
Universally known by his first name, Valentino was adored by generations of royals, first ladies and movie stars, from Jackie Kennedy Onassis to Julia Roberts.
Prince Harry tried to explain what it’s like living under what he called '24-hour surveillance' before the judge intervened and told him not to argue with the defence lawyer.
U.S. President Donald Trump's speech comes a day after world leaders and allies of the U.S. repudiated his expansionist threats to annex Greenland.
Trump has repeatedly refused to rule out military action to take over Greenland, a move that polls suggest a large majority of Americans do not support.
Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a forceful speech in Davos, Switzerland, on the 'new world order' and how middle powers like Canada can benefit by working together.
Trump said he would impose a 10 per cent import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations because of their opposition to American control of Greenland.
Approximately 10,000 Danes marched outside Copenhagen City Hall in defiance of the U.S. president's pursuit of Greenland.