Swatch apologizes, pulls global ad campaign after China backlash

Swatch has apologized and removed a global advertising campaign after online backlash in China over a slanted-eye pose used by an Asian model. The Italian-Swiss group said it had taken note of concerns about the portrayal and immediately pulled all related materials worldwide. The move comes as the brand faces pressure in a key market at a time when broader demand for consumer goods in China remains weak and the Swatch Group’s sales have softened in recent months.

The controversy centered on images from the Swatch Essentials collection in which an Asian male model pulls the corners of his eyes upward and backward to form a “slanted eye” gesture. Online critics described the pose as a racist taunt and warned that it could deepen distrust among Chinese consumers. In the wake of the backlash, social media users on platforms popular in China issued calls for boycotts of Swatch and its related brands, including Omega, Longines and Tissot. Some commentators argued that the gesture reflected an intentional display of supremacy, while others questioned how the campaign could have received approval at a corporate level.

Swatch’s response was swift and multi-channel. In posts on Weibo and...