What led to the PR debacle around Swatch's 'slant eye' ad?

Swiss watchmaker Swatch has dominated headlines recently after it apologised for publishing an ad featuring a model making a “slant eye” gesture. 

The promotional images, which are now taken down, feature a male model making “slant eye” posts, while promoting the brand's Camo Flash model.

Don't miss: Swatch apologises for featuring 'slant eye' pose in promotional ad

The incident has garnered over 1.9k mentions globally over the past few days, with many netizens commenting on the problematic use of stereotypical imagery, accusations of racism and cultural appropriation, and the swift reactions to such controversial incidents, according to media intelligence firm CARMA. 

In response, the watchmaker said on its social platforms, Instagram and Weibo, that it has taken note of the recent concerns regarding the portrayal of a model in images for the Swatch ESSENTIALS collection.   

“We treat this matter with the utmost importance and have immediately removed all related materials worldwide. We sincerely apologise for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused,” added the statement. 

However, the statement did not seem to calm the netizens’ fire. A check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw that its statement on Instagram drew negative sentiments, with many condemning the brand for discriminating against Asians in its product posters.   

Industry reactions 

Commenting on the incident, David Ko, managing director, RFI Asia, said Swatch’s apology falls short for a variety of reasons. “They named “concerns,” not the harm. Say the word: it was a racist stereotype, so they should own it, then fix it.” 

He also criticised the use of vague language such as “distress” or “misunderstanding,” calling them “corporate weasel words”. “Audiences want accountability, not euphemisms. They also shouldn’t apologise to ‘everyone’. They should apologise to Chinese communities specifically and explain why the gesture is offensive,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Charu Srivastava, co-founder and chief strategy officer at TriOn & Co, said Swatch’s apology was largely ineffective as seen by the negative response online. “The use of misunderstanding in the context of the apology comes off as a sad attempt to shun any responsibility and shift the blame to the viewer of the ad. That it was their misunderstanding of the ad rather than an actual racist act.”  

The sad apology is the first missed opportunity, and the subsequent silence is the other, she added. “There is no ambiguity about how the apology missed the mark and Swatch should certainly take responsibility for its actions, communicate tangible next-steps and issue an actual sincere apology.” 

In fact, the execution of the ad misses the mark in terms of creativity and cultural sensitivity, according to Kate Kwan, managing director, Greater China region, TEAM LEWIS. “There is a fine line between being creative and edgy. In this instance, the use of the ‘slant eye’ is not only offensive to the Chinese community but also towards a wider audience as it represents a distorted interpretation of aesthetics.” 

Any creative work involving physical appearance should be approached with care.  

What more can be done? 

In fact, Swatch is not the only brand that has faced backlash over the use of offensive imagery. For years, brands have come under fire for incorporating variations of the “slant eyes” gesture in their advertising and marketing. For instance, in 2023, luxury brand Dior sparked outrage after featuring an Asian model pulling up the corner of her eye in a campaign. 

Similarly, in 2018, the founders of Dolce & Gabbana issued an apology following criticism of an ad that depicted a Chinese woman struggling to eat spaghetti and pizza with chopsticks. 

Srivastava noted that many of these brands still fail to grasp why such actions are deeply insulting and insensitive. “It raises the question: do these brands even care to understand their consumers — their cultures, values, and nuances?” she said. 

Personally, it boils down to having diverse perspectives and having representation of the target consumer demographics, she added. “Are these consumers being represented during campaign brainstorms? If so, are their voices being heard and their concerns being registered? Are the final campaigns being vetted and tested by different consumer demographics?” 

In Swatch’s case, it is surprising that the concept was approved when fashion brands in the past failed to look into cultural sensitivities, said TEAM LEWIS’ Kwan. “Given the brand’s target audience, such missteps could have significant long-term repercussions.” 

In today’s climate, conducting due diligence and sensitivity checks on creative campaigns - especially those involving multiple markets - is a fundamental expectation, she said. “Moreover, the subsequent apology doesn't sound sincere as it lacked a clear explanation or justification for the creative direction and what it had intended to convey. There are standard review processes of both International and local marketing teams to ensure creative outputs align with cultural and diversity standards.” 

When executing campaigns of a cross-cultural nature, or which involve cultures which are non-native to the centre of the ideation, it is vital to have the idea validated by a diverse team of individuals, said Jose Raymond, managing director, SW Strategies. 

On the other hand, RFI Asia’s Ko said the brand should commit to DEI training for creative, marketing, and leadership teams. “They need to review how this content passed so many gates by setting up a diverse review panel to review each gate and establish a cultural risk checklist before sign‑off. Global creative should be stress‑tested with regional pre‑flight reviews before publishing.” 

It's not about having a team of DEI specialists, but to have a marketing team that is culturally diverse in the first place, said Edwin Yeo, general manager, SPRG Singapore. "This not only helps with ensuring potential customers are not offended, it actually makes marketing sense that campaigns can be tailored to each geography's culture and be more effective."

It is also important to note that when missteps happen, one should genuinely reflect on how it happened, and be honest about it, he added. "Was it a lack of understanding of cultural sensitivities? If so, apologise and state publicly what you would do to improve your understanding. Was it a real misunderstanding of the intention of the ad? and if so, then communicate what the ad was trying to convey, and admit how it wasn't well thought through."

Take your brand to new heights with cutting-edge AI strategies, innovative technology, and data-powered experiences. Don’t miss Digital Marketing Asia 2025 in Hong Kong on 20-21 October, where 200+ marketing leaders will explore game-changing trends, proven successes, and bold ideas shaping the future.

Related articles:

Dior takes down IG post after being accused of mocking Asians with "slanted eye" pose
Chanel global ad with Asian model sees Chinese netizens split on Asian beauty ideals