Converse has found itself at the center of an unexpected advertising controversy after a campaign featuring K-pop star Karina triggered a furious reaction online.
The Nike-owned sneaker company released promotional material connected to its Chuck 70 X campaign featuring Karina, a member of the popular South Korean girl group aespa. What was apparently intended to be a stylish fashion-focused advertisement quickly became the subject of intense criticism after viewers claimed the composition evoked imagery associated with the Ku Klux Klan and lynching.
The disputed photograph is relatively simple on its face. Karina appears wearing a long white skirt while holding a pair of black Converse sneakers beside her. She is positioned beneath a star-shaped light, with the dramatic lighting creating a sharply pointed white shape across the image.
That particular combination is what sent the advertisement into the social-media firestorm.
