Swatch pulls ‘slanted eye’ ad after backlash in China

The Swiss watchmaker Swatch has apologised 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 heavily criticised the “slanted eye” gesture made by the Asian male model as racist.

In a post on Instagram and the 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 apologise 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 a boycott of Swatch Group brands, which include Blancpain, Longines, and Tissot.

A Weibo user with more than 1 million followers accused the company of “racism against Chinese” and suggested it 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 apologise 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, it 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% 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.

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

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