Swiss watchmaker Swatch issued an apology over the weekend and pulled ads that featured an Asian male model pulling the corners of his eyes in a “slanted eye” pose.
The images for the Swatch Essentials collection were widely condemned online in China, where many said they appeared to mimic racist taunts about Asian eyes.
Shares in the company fell as much as 4% on Monday before paring losses to trade 3.1% lower.
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The images for the Swatch Essentials collection were widely condemned online in China, where many said they appeared to mimic racist taunts about Asian eyes. Swatch
“It is very significant for a brand of that scale to misfire in this way,” said Mark Borkowski, who runs a public relations consultancy in London. “This carelessness is really quite a fundamental mistake.”
In an apology
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