Key facts
- Converse removed an Instagram ad featuring K-pop singer Karina after critics said it evoked KKK imagery and lynching.
- Critics pointed to a white triangular lighting effect on Karina's skirt resembling a KKK hood and the way she held sneakers as resembling a lynching victim's dangling feet.
- Converse, owned by Nike, apologized, stating, "We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognise that we got this wrong."
- The company stated it removed the ad from its channels and is working to remove it everywhere it appeared.
Converse has removed a social media advertisement and issued an apology after the image sparked outrage among critics who viewed it as evoking the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and lynching. The advertisement, posted on Instagram, featured K-pop singer Karina wearing a skirt and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers.
Critics online pointed to a white triangular image created by lighting on the skirt, which they said resembled a KKK hood, and the way Karina held the sneakers, likening it to the dangling feet of a lynching victim.