Converse issues apology after Karina campaign draws KKK comparisons online

Converse has apologised following criticism of its latest campaign featuring aespa member and K-pop star Karina, after an image from the campaign drew comparisons to Ku Klux Klan imagery on social media.

The image shows Karina standing inside a large Converse star while wearing a white skirt and holding two shoes to her side. On Threads, users said the lighting and shape of the skirt created what they felt resembled a Ku Klux Klan hood, while the two shoes appeared to look like dangling legs.

In a statement to Women’s Wear Daily, Converse apologised, saying it understood why the image was deeply upsetting.

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The brand acknowledged that it had “got it wrong”, adding that it had removed the image from its channels and was working to remove it from everywhere it had appeared. Converse also said it would “do better” and that the incident should not have happened.

Checks by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE found that the image had been removed from Converse’s Instagram.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out for a statement. 

The controversy has also drawn criticism from US Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr., who on 18 September issued a statement condemning the campaign and calling for greater accountability from Converse and parent company Nike.

Carter questioned how the imagery had passed through the brands’ creative and approval processes, asking who had created and approved the campaign and whether Black voices had been involved in reviewing the work.

“Lynching is not a creative concept. The Ku Klux Klan is not an aesthetic,” Carter said, adding that removing the images and issuing an apology should not be the end of the matter. He called on Nike and Converse to explain how the campaign was approved and what action would be taken in response.

The image is part of a wider campaign welcoming Karina as Converse’s new global brand ambassador. The accompanying campaign film features the K-pop star pulling a silver chain from the sky before moving through a series of shots wearing the brand’s reimagined Chuck 70 X shoes.

The film also places strong emphasis on Converse’s star emblem, with Karina standing in a star-shaped spotlight and star graphics appearing in her eyes.

The campaign is understood to be running across APAC markets, including Singapore and Malaysia.

The controversy comes amid a series of recent instances in which sports and lifestyle brands have faced scrutiny over campaign or brand-related decisions.

Last week, HYROX came under fire following an incident involving athlete Joanna Wietrzyk at its Beijing race, while PUMA also faced calls to respond given Wietrzyk’s status as a global brand ambassador. HYROX subsequently acknowledged concerns over its medical and biocontaminant protocols and called for criticism to be directed at the organiser rather than the athlete. PUMA has not publicly commented on the incident.

Meanwhile, last year, adidas also apologised following backlash in Mexico over its “Oaxaca” slip-on, which drew criticism for allegedly appropriating the traditional huarache sandal designs of the Zapotec community in Oaxaca. In a statement, the brand said it was committed to respectful dialogue with the community, while designer Willy Chavarria also apologised and acknowledged that the design had not been developed in direct partnership with the community.

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