The Swiss company Swatch withdrew from an advertisement with a racist subtext

• Swatch withdrew from an advertisement that provoked outrage in China.
• The company retracted the advertisement after calls for a boycott.
• There is a growing backlash regarding racist imagery in advertising.

The Swiss watchmaker Swatch withdrew and retracted an advertisement in which a model tightly holds her eyes, provoking outrage among users of social networks in China.

Critics noted that the pose of the model evokes a racist gesture that has historically been used to mock Asians.

Calls for a boycott of Swatch products began to spread on Chinese platforms after the advertisement went viral.

In a statement, the company stated that "we took into account the recent backlash regarding the imagery of the model." Swatch withdrew for any misconduct or misunderstanding that it may have provoked.

However, the withdrawal did not spare the critics. One of the Weibo users noted that the company "is only focused on its profits." Another user called for a boycott of Swatch products, asserting that the company profits from the Chinese but still shows discrimination.

Swatch receives about 27% of its revenues from China, Hong Kong, and Macao, although, according to data from the Reuters agency, the company is experiencing a decline in sales in China due to the economic downturn in the country.

In recent years, Chinese consumers have organized boycotts against brands that, in their opinion, disrespect their culture or threaten national interests.

Tags: China