Swatch’s Slanted-Eye Blunder: A Costly Lesson in Cultural Blindness

By The Malketeer

Over the weekend, the Swiss watchmaker issued a rare global apology after pulling campaign images featuring an Asian male model tugging at his eyes in the stereotypical “slanted eye” gesture.

For Chinese consumers, the gesture isn’t just tone-deaf—it recalls decades of racial taunts.

The backlash on Weibo was swift and fierce.

What puzzled many observers wasn’t just the offensive image itself, but how it managed to clear multiple layers of approval in a brand as seasoned as Swatch.

The Stakes in China

Swatch isn’t a small player in the region.

China, Hong Kong, and Macau together accounted for 27% of the group’s sales last year.

Yet even before this controversy, business had been shaky.

Revenues slumped nearly 15% in 2024 to CHF6.74 billion (US$8.4 billion), with China singled out for “persistently difficult market conditions.”

Add to that a new 39% US tariff on exports, and the timing of this reputational misfire could not be worse.

A quick apology in both Mandarin and English may soften the blow, but as Chinese fashion influencer Peter Xu (7 million followers on Weibo) put it bluntly: “It was pretty stupid to release images like those ones.”

Lessons for Global Marketers

1. Cultural sensitivity isn’t optional
   A “universal” idea can be interpreted very differently across markets. What might appear quirky or irreverent in Europe can quickly morph into a cultural insult in Asia. The cost of such blind spots is no longer confined to PR teams—it hits share prices, as Swatch’s 2.7% dip in early trading shows.
2. Local voices in the approval pipeline
   For multinationals operating in Asia, having local creative advisors at the table is critical. A single overlooked gesture or symbol can undo millions in brand equity.
3. Speed matters but so does sincerity
   Swatch acted fast, issuing apologies across Weibo and Instagram within hours. But speed must be matched with substance. Consumers now expect brands to show not only contrition but also concrete steps—internal reviews, cultural advisory boards, or diversity training—to prevent repeats.
4. Fragility of trust in turbulent markets
   Swatch is already battling declining demand in China. A reputational stumble doesn’t just dent image—it accelerates a downward spiral in a market where competition from local and luxury players is intensifying.

Respect is the Ultimate Currency

Southeast Asia and China are not homogenous markets.

Success depends not just on exporting products, but on importing cultural intelligence.

What may be brushed off as “an oversight” in the West can turn into a cultural firestorm in Asia, amplified by social media ecosystems like Weibo, TikTok, and Xiaohongshu.

Swatch’s “slanted eye” blunder is not just another global brand misstep; it is a cautionary tale of what happens when cultural nuance is sacrificed at the altar of creative expression.

In a time when Asian markets are the growth engines for many multinationals, marketers cannot afford to forget the obvious: respect is the ultimate currency.