Swiss watchmaker Swatch under fire for racist ‘slanted eye’ ad, issues apology

The outrage began when Swatch released an advertisement featuring an Asian model pulling the corner of his eyes, which seemed as "slanted eye” stereotype.

Swiss watchmaker Swatch has come under fire recently after backlash for publishing an advertisement featuring an Asian model pulling the corners of his eyes. The image was quickly called out by users for being racist and encouraging the ‘slanted eye’ stereotype. Ultimately, the company had to release a public statement apologising for the advertisement.

As the controversy grew louder in China, Swatch had to remove the advertisement and issue an apology. (X)

The outrage began when Swatch released an advertisement featuring an Asian model pulling the corner of his eyes upwards, making them slant. The image sparked outrage among Chinese social media users who called it out for being racist. They pointed out the “slanted eye” stereotype, which has been used to mock Asians.

Swatch issues a public apology

As the controversy grew louder in China, Swatch had to remove the advertisement and issue an apology. In a post on Instagram and the Chinese social media platform Weibo on Saturday, Swatch acknowledged the concerns regarding the portrayal of the model.

“We treat this matter with the utmost importance and have immediately removed all related materials worldwide,” the company wrote. They also apologise for any “distress or misunderstanding it may have caused.”

Online outrage

While some users accepted the apology, others were not content with the company’s response and called for boycotting Swatch Group brands, which include Blancpain, Longines, and Tissot, AFP reported.

A Weibo user with more than a million followers accused the company of "racism against Chinese" and suggested the firm should be punished by regulators. Others accused Swatch of deliberate discrimination and urged consumers to boycott the company.

"The brand's image has collapsed. (Swatch) thinks they can just apologise and salvage everything? It's not that simple," another user wrote.

Swatch revenue dip

China is one of the Swatch Group's biggest markets, with around 27% of the group's sales last year coming from China, Hong Kong, and the Macau region. It has faced intense competition from other Western brands and struggled to maintain growth in the world’s second-largest economy. The revenue for Swatch dipped 14.6 per cent to 6.74 billion Swiss francs ($8.4 billion) in 2024.

The company was hit by reduced demands in China and said that it was seeing "persistently difficult market conditions and weak demand for consumer goods overall", Reuters reported. In July, the group reported an 11.2 per cent drop in net sales for the first six months of the year. It said the slump was "exclusively attributable" to sluggish demand in China.

Swatch is not the first foreign brand to face accusations of racist advertising in China. In 2018, Italian luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana was heavily criticised after it posted promotional videos showing a Chinese model awkwardly using chopsticks to eat Italian food.