Swatch in turmoil after ad deemed racist

Swiss watchmaker Swatch has apologized and removed an advertisement depicting a model pulling at the corners of her eyes, following accusations of racism and calls for a boycott on Chinese social media. In a message posted Saturday on Instagram and the Chinese social media site Weibo, Swatch acknowledged "recent concerns about the depiction of a model" in the advertisement and said it had decided to remove it.

"We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or misunderstanding this may have caused," the company continued. Many internet users were dissatisfied with the company's response and continued their calls for a boycott of Swatch Group brands, which include Blancpain, Longines, and Tissot.

A Weibo user with more than a million followers accused the group of "racism against the Chinese" and demanded that it be punished. Others urged consumers to boycott the company. China is one of the Swatch Group's largest markets, and the watch industry as a whole is facing declining demand in the country.

In July, the group announced an 11.2% drop in net sales for the first six months of the year, due to weak consumption in China, Hong Kong and Macau as well as in Southeast Asian markets "heavily dependent on Chinese tourists," the Swiss watchmaker acknowledged.

Swatch isn't the first foreign brand to be accused of racism in China. Dolce & Gabbana came under fire in 2018 after releasing promotional videos showing a Chinese model awkwardly using chopsticks to eat Italian food. In 2023, Dior also sparked an uproar with an ad showing a model also pulling at the corner of her eye.