Converse has apologized and pulled a sneaker advertisement after critics said its imagery evoked the Ku Klux Klan and lynching.
The advertisement was part of Nike-owned Converse’s Chuck 70 X campaign, which launched internationally on August 27, according to the BBC. The campaign featured K-pop star Karina of aespa. In the controversial image, Karina stands beneath a star-shaped spotlight while holding a pair of black high-top sneakers.
Critics said the pointed shape created by the lighting resembled a Ku Klux Klan hood, while others compared the positioning of the sneakers to the dangling feet of a lynching victim, according to CBS News.
PEOPLE reported that another image from a separate Converse campaign showed two models climbing a wooden ladder toward sneakers hanging from a tree branch, which also drew criticism.
Converse removed the advertisement and apologized on Friday (September 18), according to ABC 7 News.
“We’re sorry,” the company said in a statement. “We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong. We removed it from our channels and are working to remove it everywhere it appeared. This should not have happened, and we will do better.”
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt also criticized the campaign in a post on X, arguing that the imagery should have been caught during the review process before the advertisement was released.
“This wasn’t hidden,” Merritt wrote. “It was styled, lit, and approved by a creative team.”
Merritt also questioned the company's apology, writing that “an apology doesn’t undo what got past legal, marketing, and leadership at every step.”
Louisiana Democratic Rep. Troy Carter also condemned the campaign in a statement issued Friday, questioning how the images made it through the company’s approval process.
“Your campaign shows what looks like a hooded Klansman, framed by what appears to be the dangling feet of a lynching victim,” Carter said.
Carter called on Nike and Converse to explain who created and approved the campaign and what steps the companies would take to prevent similar incidents.
“Black pain is not a marketing prop,” the Democratic lawmaker said.
Converse has not publicly explained how the advertisement passed its review process. Karina and her management company, SM Entertainment, have not publicly commented.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.