Business · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Converse Pulls Karina Chuck 70 X Ad After KKK And Lynching Imagery Backlash
Converse pulled the Chuck 70 X ad after backlash accusing it of KKK imagery. The campaign image featured Karina from aespa, drawing KKK comparisons.
How culpability is framed (process failure vs possible intent).
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Same story, two versions
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Los Angeles Times
“Shadow, light, and composition. Every photographer can tell you, whoever did this ad knew EXACTLY what they were doing,”Read the original ↗
The Mary Sue
“There is no indication that Converse intended the photograph to reference the KKK or lynching.”Read the original ↗
They diverge on whether the ads suggest deliberate racism or merely insensitive execution.
Ad pulled after backlash
Converse pulled a sneaker advertisement after social media users said it evoked Ku Klux Klan imagery and lynching imagery, with the company saying it recognized "that we got this wrong".
“recognised "that we got this wrong"”
The photo had been posted to Converse’s Instagram account as part of a campaign promoting its Chuck 70 X trainer, launched internationally on 27 August, and it featured the South Korean singer Karina of the K-pop group Aespa.
In its apology, Converse said: "This should not have happened and we will do better," and it said the photo was removed from its social media channels while it worked to remove it elsewhere.
The backlash centered on critics describing lighting in the image as looking like a white pointed hood, and on a pair of shoes dangling in the picture being likened to an image of a lynching victim by social media users.
Critics demand answers
Louisiana Congressman Troy Carter condemned the brand for quietly removing the images, writing in a press release: "Nike and Converse, what the hell were you thinking?"
Carter said he was "a Black man, a son of the South and a Member of Congress from Louisiana" and argued that "the image of Black people hanging from trees is not ancient history."
In a statement to PEOPLE, Converse said: "We removed it from our channels and are working to remove it everywhere it appeared," after the ad went viral.
The controversy also drew commentary from other users, including a post on X that said: "An apology doesn't undo what got past legal, marketing and leadership at every step."
Second ad adds pressure
The backlash expanded beyond the Karina image, with another recent Converse ad featuring two women climbing on a ladder to reach a pair of sneakers seen hanging from a tree branch, which was highlighted on the Converse Malaysia Instagram account.
“"This should not have happened and we will do better"”
According to the People report, Converse said: "This should not have happened and we will do better," as it faced criticism over both the Chuck 70 X campaign and the Converse x Palmes campaign for the Jack Purcell PDM sneaker collection.
A separate account of the controversy described the Karina campaign as showing her standing under a star-shaped spotlight while holding black high-top sneakers and wearing a calf-length white skirt, with users saying the spotlight lighting created an outline resembling a Ku Klux Klan hood.
In the same coverage, Troy Carter also said: "Lynching is not a creative concept. The Ku Klux Klan is not an aesthetic," as he insisted the campaign should never have been created, approved or released.