GENEVA (AP) — Swiss watchmaker Swatch apologized Monday for an ad campaign that upset consumers in China and elsewhere and said it had “immediately removed all related materials worldwide.”
The Swatch ad that sparked a social media backlash for promoting offensive cultural stereotypes. Photo: Handout
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—a gesture seen as derogatory and racist, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported.
In response, Swatch posted apologies in both English and Chinese on its official Instagram and Weibo accounts, stating that it had “taken note of the recent concerns,” removed all related materials worldwide, and was sincerely sorry “for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused.”
The apology, however, was met with skepticism by many. Commenters criticized it as evasive—arguing that calling the incident a “misunderstanding” sidestepped the company’s responsibility. Some questioned how such an ad passed Swatch’s internal review and was cleared for global release.