An advertisement can look perfectly reasonable to the people who created it — and communicate something entirely different to the people who see it.
Converse recently found itself facing backlash over a social media ad featuring K-pop star Karina promoting its Chuck 70 X sneakers. Critics said the lighting and positioning of a white skirt and dangling black sneakers evoked imagery associated with the Ku Klux Klan and lynching. Converse apologized and removed the ad. The company has since reportedly paused its marketing and social media advertising.
But the incident raises a larger question for businesses of every size: How does potentially offensive imagery make it through the creative and approval process without anyone recognizing how it might be interpreted?
I asked Kevin Green, Executive Creative Director at Moroch, an advertising and marketing communications company, what went wrong and what businesses can learn from the controversy.
Green believes cultural context matters. He points out that K-pop draws heavily from Black culture, making it especially important for brands working with K-pop artists to consider whether their advertising could be insensitive to that culture.
Look Beyond the Intended Message
Green says a lack of representation behind the scenes is an obvious concern, but he believes the issue goes deeper.
“Brands need to make cultural sensitivity checks a mandatory part of their processes. At the same level as a legal or regulatory review,” he says.
He also cautions against assuming that simply having a diverse team solves the problem. “You can staff a team with members of each ethnicity, but it’s dangerous asking one person with a limited perspective to speak for an entire culture.”
His larger point is that cultural awareness shouldn’t depend on whether someone happens to notice a problem or feels comfortable objecting. It needs to be part of the review process itself.
For small businesses without large marketing departments, that suggests a useful precaution: Before publishing an ad, have someone who wasn’t involved in creating it review the finished image and message without first explaining what it’s supposed to communicate. Ask what they see, what associations it brings to mind, and whether anything could be interpreted differently than intended.
When an Ad Goes Wrong
Even with safeguards, mistakes can happen. How a business responds matters.
Green recommends acknowledging the mistake, apologizing to the affected communities, and examining what needs to change internally.
He also encourages businesses to make systemic changes, such as diversifying their staff and overhauling internal review processes, to help prevent similar mistakes.
“What they shouldn’t do is try to explain the mistake away or justify their choices. Just admit the mistake and move forward.”
The Takeaway: Before approving your next ad, don’t ask only whether it communicates what you intended. Ask what someone unfamiliar with your creative concept might see. And if something does go wrong, don’t stop at an apology. Fix the process that allowed it to happen.
Rieva Lesonsky is the founder of Small Business Currents, a content company focusing on small businesses and entrepreneurship. You can find her on Twitter @Rieva, Bluesky @Rieva.bsky.social, and LinkedIn. Or email her at Rieva@SmallBusinessCurrents.com.
Photo of Kevin Green courtesy of Moroch.