Converse pulls ad and apologises after critics say imagery evoked KKK and lynching

US sneaker brand Converse apologised and removed a social media advertisement after critics said the image evoked Ku Klux Klan imagery and lynching, prompting an online backlash.

What happened

The Instagram advert featured South Korean K-pop star Karina, a member of girl group aespa, wearing a white skirt and holding a pair of black Converse sneakers.

Online critics pointed to a triangular shape created by lighting on the skirt, saying it resembled the pointed hood associated with the Ku Klux Klan. Others said the position of the dangling sneakers evoked the feet of a person being lynched.

Converse response

Converse, which is owned by Nike, issued a statement acknowledging the criticism and apologising.

“We’re sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognise that we got this wrong,” the company said. “This should not have happened and we will do better.”

The company said it had removed the image from its own channels and was working to take it down from other places where it had appeared.

Campaign details and wider concerns

The campaign promoted the Chuck 70 X sneaker, launched internationally on August 27, and described by Converse as part of a collaboration with Karina.

The controversy also drew attention to a separate Converse campaign in which sneakers were shown hanging from a tree branch while a person stood on a ladder below; critics said that image similarly evoked lynching.

Questions raised

The backlash prompted questions about how the advertisements were reviewed and approved before publication. Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt criticised the campaign online, saying potentially offensive imagery should have been identified before the advertisements were released.

Converse has not publicly detailed its internal approval process for the advertisement. Karina and her management company, SM Entertainment, have not publicly commented on the controversy.

What the company did not say

Converse has not said that the imagery was intended to reference the Ku Klux Klan or lynching; the comparisons were made by critics and social media users, and Converse acknowledged the image was deeply upsetting and apologised for it.