Swatch withdraws the “Elanted Eye” advertisement after the uproar of Chinese social media

Swiss Watchmaker Swatch apologized and removed an advertisement that includes a model that pulls his eyes after he pushed the image to racism and calls for a boycott on Chinese social media.

Internet users criticized the “oblique eye” gesture that the Asian male model was racist.

In a post on Instagram and Chinese social media platform on Saturday, Swatch admitted “recent concerns related to photographing a model” in the advertisement and said it had deleted promotional materials all over the world.

The company wrote: “We sincerely apologize for any distress or misunderstanding that may cause this,” the company wrote.

Many online were not satisfied with the company’s response and continued to invite the Swatch Group brands, which includes Blancpain, Longines and Tissot.

A user of more than a million followers on the giant Chinese social media site was accused of “racism against Chinese” and suggested that the organizers be punished.

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

Another user wrote: “The brand’s image has collapsed.

China is one of the largest markets of Swatch Group.

But in addition to many other luxury Western brands, the watchmaker has struggled to maintain growth as the second largest economy in the world slowed and consumers moved to more reasonable brands.

In July, the group recorded a 11.2 % decrease in net sales for the first six months of the year.

She said the recession is “exclusively attributed” to the slow demand in China.

Swatch is not the first foreign brand to face racist advertisements in China.

The Italian luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana was greatly criticized in 2018 after it published promotional videos showing a Chinese model using Chopsticks for Italian food.

In 2023, the French brand Dior also made a stir with an advertisement showing a model that pulls her eye angle.