Friday’s uproar over Converse’s ad that some likened to Ku Klux Klan iconography followed what’s become a standard pattern: the hasty apology, the takedown, and the promise of remediation.
“We understand why this image is deeply unsettling and recognize that we got this wrong,” said Converse about an ad that, to many, suggested a white Klansman’s robe and a dangling pair of feet. “This should not have happened, and we will do better.”
What might be most vexing about the ad, though, is that it’s not an aberration. It’s the latest in a string that has outraged many consumers—and Black consumers especially.
