Overview
- Converse apologized on Sept. 18 and removed a Chuck 70 X campaign image featuring K-pop star Karina after social media users circulated versions they said made a white skirt and lighting resemble a pointed KKK hood and the held shoes resemble dangling feet.
- An uncropped Karina image and a separate Palmes-linked ad showing shoes hanging from a tree intensified the backlash as critics shared examples across Threads, X, Instagram and Reddit and called for boycotts.
- Converse said it was working to erase the images from third‑party accounts but archived copies and screenshots remain visible on the web and in social archives.
- Elected officials, photographers and civil rights lawyers have demanded a public accounting of who created and approved the ads and whether diverse reviewers saw the material before publication.
- The controversy has highlighted how historical symbols of racial terror shape audience reading of international campaigns and could prompt brands to change creative review processes and local posting oversight.