Swatch Pulls Advert After Racism Backlash in China

Swiss watchmaker Swatch has apologised and withdrawn an advertisement after it sparked accusations of racism on Chinese social media, where calls for a boycott of its brands gained momentum.

The promotional image featured an Asian male model pulling the corners of his eyes — a gesture widely condemned as racist. Internet users denounced the depiction, saying it perpetuated offensive stereotypes.

In a statement posted on Instagram and China’s Weibo platform on Saturday, the company said: “We sincerely apologise for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused.” Swatch confirmed that the advert had been deleted worldwide.

However, the apology failed to placate many online commentators. Influential Weibo users accused the company of “racism against Chinese” and urged regulators to penalise it. Others dismissed the apology as inadequate and called for a boycott of Swatch Group brands, which include Blancpain, Longines and Tissot.

“The brand’s image has collapsed. They think they can just apologise and salvage everything? It’s not that simple,” one user wrote.

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China is among Swatch’s largest markets, though the group has struggled to sustain growth amid slowing consumer demand. In July, it reported an 11.2 per cent decline in net sales for the first half of the year, attributing the slump solely to weak sales in China.

Swatch is not the first Western luxury brand to face a backlash in the country over racially insensitive campaigns. In 2018, Dolce & Gabbana came under fire for videos showing a Chinese model awkwardly eating Italian food with chopsticks, while in 2023 Dior was criticised for an advert in which a model pulled up the corner of her eye.