Converse pulls K-pop star ad and apologises after critics say lighting created KKK hood and lynching imagery
From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026 · last updated 20 September 2026.
Converse has removed a campaign featuring K-pop singer Karina of girl group Aespa after widespread online outrage over lighting and shadows in the image that critics said resembled a Ku Klux Klan hood and a hanging lynching victim. The Nike-owned brand admitted it "got this wrong" and vowed to scrub the ad from every platform where it appeared. A second Converse ad, showing a model on a ladder hanging sneakers from a tree branch, was also pulled into the row.
Democratic Louisiana congressman Troy Carter demanded to know 'who created this, who approved it, and whether any Black people were in the room'.
Carter told the company: 'You do not get to quietly pull the images, issue a polished apology and move on.'
Critics questioned how the imagery cleared concept development, photography, editing and executive review without anyone raising the alarm.