Converse issued an apology and withdrew a shoe advertisement last week after controversy arose over imagery some interpreted as related to the Ku Klux Klan. The ad, removed from Converse’s social media, featured K-pop singer Karina from the girl group aespa promoting Chuck 70 X and Run Star Crush sneakers.
In the ad, Karina held a pair of black high-tops under a star-shaped spotlight, wearing a long white skirt. Critics claimed this presentation resembled a KKK member and a lynching victim. One such critic was Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) who publicly criticized the campaign.
Nike and Converse, what the hell were you thinking?Carter expressed.Your campaign shows what looks like a hooded Klansman and dangling feet of a lynching victim. It is racist, reckless, and deeply offensive.
Following significant backlash, Converse pulled the ad and issued a statement apologizing, acknowledging their mistake and stating they were working to ensure its complete removal.
This controversy occurs as Nike, Converse’s parent company, faces exclusion from the S&P 100 due to a value drop exceeding $200 billion since 2021. Nike has often been under scrutiny from conservative critics for its partnerships with progressive figures like Colin Kaepernick and Dylan Mulvaney, while also facing some criticism from the left.
In April, Nike’s Boston Marathon ad drew criticism for allegedly “pace-shaming” runners. A statement from a spokesperson for Rep. Carter deemed Converse’s apology insufficient, demanding explanations and safeguards to prevent similar occurrences.
Details on how the campaign was conceived, who was responsible, and calls for an independent investigation were among the demands made by Carter’s office. The statement stressed the importance of preventing approval of imagery invoking the Klan and the lynching of Black people.
Lindsay Kornick, an associate editor for Fox News Digital, contributed to the story.
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