Swatch pulls ‘slanted eye’ ad after Chinese social media uproar

The logo of Swiss watchmaker "Swatch" is pictured on the Champs Elysees Avenue in Paris, France, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, file)

Swiss watchmaker Swatch has apologized and removed an advert featuring a model pulling the corners of his eyes after the image prompted accusations of racism and calls for a boycott on Chinese social media.

Internet users slammed the “slanted eye” gesture made by the Asian male model as racist.

In a post on Instagram and Chinese social media platform Weibo on Saturday, Swatch acknowledged the “recent concerns regarding the portrayal of a model” in the advert and said it had deleted the promotional material worldwide.

“We sincerely apologize for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused,” the company wrote.

Many online were not content with the company’s response and continued to call for boycotting Swatch Group brands, which include Blancpain, Longines, and Tissot.

A Weibo user with more than one million followers accused the company of “racism against Chinese” and suggested the firm should be punished by regulators.

Others accused Swatch of deliberate discrimination and urged consumers to boycott the company.

“The brand’s image has collapsed. (Swatch) thinks they can just apologize and salvage everything? It’s not that simple,” another user wrote.

China is one of Swatch Group’s biggest markets.

But along with many other Western luxury brands, the watchmaker has struggled to maintain growth as the world’s second largest economy has slowed and consumers have shifted to more affordable brands.

In July, the group reported an 11.2 percent drop in net sales for the first six months of the year.

It said the slump was “exclusively attributable” to sluggish demand in China.

Swatch is not the first foreign brand to face accusations of racist advertising in China.

Italian luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana was heavily criticised in 2018 after it posted promotional videos showing a Chinese model awkwardly using chopsticks to eat Italian food.

In 2023, French brand Dior also sparked uproar with an advertisement showing a model pulling up the corner of her eye.