- Converse issued an apology and removed a sneaker advertisement following widespread online backlash over imagery that critics compared to the Ku Klux Klan and lynchings.
- The ad for the Chuck 70 X sneaker featured K-pop star Karina under a spotlight that cast a silhouette resembling a pointed KKK hood, while dangling shoes drew comparisons to a lynching victim.
- Public figures and social media users condemned the campaign, with critics noting that the composition and lighting made the racial symbolism clear.
- The controversy also resurfaced a separate Converse marketing image that featured a pair of sneakers hanging from a tree branch.
- Parent company Nike and Converse acknowledged the mistake in a statement, promising to remove the deeply upsetting ad from all platforms.
IN FULL
Converse pulls ad after claims it appeared to show a KKK lynching
