Watchmaker Swatch apologises for 'slanted eye' ad after online backlash in China
The images for the Swatch Essentials collection were widely condemned online in China, where many comments said they appeared to mimic racist taunts about Asian eyes.
Shares in the company slipped by as much as 2.7% in early trading on Monday before paring losses somewhat.
'When I saw this news, I was quite shocked. Swatch has been in the Chinese market for many years, and I feel like most people are familiar with the brand,' said 23-year-old student Justin Zhao. 'I don't know why they did it. They were able to somehow release this after going through numerous approvals.'
In an apology posted in both Chinese and English on its official account on the Weibo social media platform on Saturday, Swatch said that it had 'taken note of the recent concerns' and removed all related materials worldwide.
'We sincerely apologise for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused,' the statement said. It also posted the same apology on Instagram.
Swatch Group did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for further comment.
The criticism over the advert is the latest setback for a firm whose shares have fallen by more than half since early 2023 and now faces a 39% tariff on its exports to the United States.
Swatch, which also makes Omega, Longines and Tissot watches, relied on China, Hong Kong and Macau for around 27% of group sales last year.
Revenue for the watchmaker slumped 14.6% to 6.74 billion Swiss francs ($8.4 billion) in 2024, hit by a downturn in demand in China, where Swatch said it was seeing 'persistently difficult market conditions and weak demand for consumer goods overall'.
Peter Xu, a fashion influencer in China with over seven million Weibo followers, said he believed the controversy would impact Swatch's business in China, but given the speed of the apology, the fallout was likely to be relatively short-term.
'It was pretty stupid to release images like those ones,' he said - REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Swatch apologises for ‘slanted eye' ad after online backlash in China
Shares of Swatch slipped as much as 2.7% in early trading before paring losses. (EPA Images pic) SHANGHAI : Swiss watchmaker Swatch issued an apology at the weekend and pulled ads featuring images of an Asian male model pulling the corners of his eyes up and backwards in a 'slanted eye' pose. The images for the Swatch Essentials collection were widely condemned online in China, where many comments said they appeared to mimic racist taunts about Asian eyes. Shares in the company slipped by as much as 2.7% in early trading today before paring losses somewhat. 'When I saw this news, I was quite shocked. Swatch has been in the Chinese market for many years, and I feel like most people are familiar with the brand,' said 23-year-old student Justin Zhao. 'I don't know why they did it. They were able to somehow release this after going through numerous approvals,' he added. In an apology posted in both Chinese and English on its official account on the Weibo social media platform on Saturday, Swatch said that it had 'taken note of the recent concerns' and removed all related materials worldwide. 'We sincerely apologise for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused,' the statement said. It also posted the same apology on Instagram. Swatch Group did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for further comment. The criticism over the advert is the latest setback for a firm whose shares have fallen by more than half since early 2023 and now faces a 39% tariff on its exports to the US. Swatch, which also makes Omega, Longines and Tissot watches, relied on China, Hong Kong and Macau for around 27% of group sales last year. Revenue for the watchmaker slumped 14.6% to CHF6.74 billion (US$8.4 billion) in 2024, hit by a downturn in demand in China, where Swatch said it was seeing 'persistently difficult market conditions and weak demand for consumer goods overall'. Peter Xu, a fashion influencer in China with over seven million Weibo followers, said he believed the controversy would impact Swatch's business in China, but given the speed of the apology, the fallout was likely to be relatively short-term. 'It was pretty stupid to release images like those ones,' he said.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
A South Korean city wanted ‘Big Tree' landmark; It got a US$25mil letdown
SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): A South Korean port city's attempt to build a landmark attraction to draw visitors has run into public backlash, with critics calling its new 34.4 billion won (S$31.8 million - US$ 25million) 'Big Tree' observation tower a costly disappointment. The Big Tree, which rises 46.5m in Changwon, south-eastern South Korea, was inspired by the towering Supertrees at Singapore's Gardens by the Bay. It was designed to anchor Daesang Park, a public-private partnership development worth about 1 trillion won, and to serve as a draw for both domestic and international visitors. The tower offers 360-degree views of Masan Port, Dotseom Island and Muhaksan mountain, but as recent local media reports and public commentary have noted, its squat proportions, sparse artificial foliage and incongruous decorative animal statues have left many residents underwhelmed. Changwon, home to just over a million people, is an industrial and shipping hub near the south-eastern tip of the Korean Peninsula. It became a 'special city' in 2022 under South Korean law, granting it some additional autonomy over development projects. City officials promoted the Big Tree as a signature tourist attraction that could help alleviate South Korea's longstanding problem of tourism being concentrated in Seoul. According to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, 78 per cent of foreign visitors in 2024 spent time in the capital, compared with just 16.5 per cent in Busan, 11.2 per cent in Gyeonggi province and 10.9 per cent on Jeju Island. The tower was built under a public-private partnership, a model widely used by Korean municipalities to avoid losing undeveloped urban parkland to private use under the country's 'urban park sunset law' that took effect in 2020. In Changwon's case, the private developer agreed to build most of the park facilities, including the Big Tree, and transfer them to the city, while retaining about 12.7 per cent of the site for a 1,779-unit apartment complex and other revenue-generating properties. City officials have now confirmed that the Big Tree's upper structure will be redesigned, but they expect this process to take at least a year. The redesign will be selected through a nationwide competition and citizen consultations. Even if work proceeds smoothly, the city estimates that construction could only start in the second half of 2026. In response to negative feedback, Changwon has decided not to charge an entry fee when the tower begins official operations on Oct 1. Local media inspections in recent weeks described artificial leaves arranged so sparsely that they seemed unfinished, and interior plant sculptures that were clearly fake. Some small details, such as a few realistic-looking faux plants, drew brief curiosity, but most of the decorative elements were identified as looking 'too artificial'. Another key feature of Daesang Park is the 'Mom's Free Zone', a literal translation from Korean that may sound awkward in English. The name reflects its original idea: a safe indoor space where mothers could take a break – 'free' from childcare – while children played in a clean, pollution-free environment. Proposed in 2020 amid public concern over fine dust, it was envisioned as a mix of play areas, lounges, and cultural spaces. The 5,000 sq m building, costing about 25 billion won, sits next to a new 1,779-unit apartment complex being built under the same public-private project. It was designed with these future residents, especially young families, in mind. But nearly five years on, the facility is still an empty shell, with no set plan for its contents or operator, and no dedicated parking. A consulting study due in September may propose uses such as a kids' cafe, library, or coffee shop, but the city has already extended the completion deadline to February 2026, long after the apartments open this October. -- THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
China slams Germany for 'hyping' regional tensions in Asia
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning at the regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday, August 18, 2025. -- Image via the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. BEIJING (AFP): China lashed out at Germany on Monday (Aug 18), warning Berlin against "inciting confrontation and hyping up tensions" after its foreign minister said Beijing was "increasingly aggressive" in the Asia-Pacific region. During a visit to Japan, Johann Wadephul said China had made repeated threats to "unilaterally change the status quo and shift borders in its favour", citing its behaviour in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas. "Any escalation in this sensitive hub of international trade would have serious consequences for global security and the world economy," Wadephul said Monday after talks with Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya. A statement issued on Sunday before Wadephul's visit to Japan -- and later Indonesia -- said that China was "increasingly asserting its regional supremacy and, in doing so, is also questioning principles of international law." "China's increasingly aggressive behaviour in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas also has implications for us in Europe: fundamental principles of our global coexistence are at stake here," the statement quoted Wadephul as saying. China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning hit back on Monday, telling a regular news conference that the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea "remains generally stable". "We urge the relevant parties to respect regional countries, resolve issues through dialogue and consultation, and safeguard the common interest of peace and stability, instead of inciting confrontation and hyping up tensions," she said when asked about Wadephul's comments. "The Taiwan question is China's internal affair," she added. - 'War machine' support - In the joint press statement in Tokyo, Wadephul also criticised "China's support for the Russian war machine" in Ukraine. "Without it, the war of aggression against Ukraine would not be possible. China is Russia's largest supplier of dual-use goods and Russia's best oil and gas customer," Wadephul said. He also said ahead of talks later Monday between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders that security guarantees for Kyiv were "crucial". Trump's summit on Friday with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska "made it clear that for a just and lasting peace, Moscow must finally act. Until that happens, pressure on Russia must be increased, including with increased aid to Ukraine," Wadephul said. The talks on Monday in Washington are about establishing "the elements of a negotiated solution on the path to a just peace for Ukraine," he said. "Firm security guarantees are crucial for this. Because Ukraine must be able to defend itself effectively even after a ceasefire and peace agreement." -- AFP
