American footwear brand Converse has pulled an advert that social media users said evoked Ku Klux Klan imagery, saying it recognised “that we got this wrong”.
The photo, posted to the company’s Instagram account, received backlash online after critics described lighting in the image as looking like a white pointed hood.
A pair of shoes, dangling in the picture, were also likened to an image of a lynching victim by social media users.
In an apology, first issued on Friday, Converse said the photo had been removed from its social media channels and it was working to remove it elsewhere. “This should not have happened and we will do better,” it said.
The statement also said: “We’re sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong”.
