Earlier this week, Swiss watchmaker Swatch made headlines for all the wrong reasons when it featured a male model pulling the corners of his eyes, a pose widely condemned as ‘racist’ among Asian communities. The fallout from the now-pulled advert has made one thing clear: global brands cannot afford to treat cultural sensitivity as an afterthought.
Speaking to B&T, Jessica Yue, founder and CEO of Polaris+, a marketing agency connecting brands to Chinese audiences, said that “what might seem like a bold or artistic campaign from the outside can feel very different in China, especially when it involves facial features that have been mocked or misunderstood for generations”.
The watchmaker apologised quickly, but it has done little to soften the backlash, with calls for a boycott of the Swatch Group, including its luxury brands Longines, Omega and Tissot, gaining momentum across Chinese social media.
According to Yue, this isn’t just about one campaign. “If the goal was to create controversy and get people talking, it certainly did. But not in a way that builds brand trust or loyalty. Chinese consumers today are confident, proud and quick to speak out when something feels disrespectful. And this time, they’re not just reacting to one brand. They’re calling for a boycott of the entire group.”
Yue added that the controversy likely stems from a lack of local and diverse involvement in the creative process. “We also doubt this campaign was created with proper input from the China team—if they were consulted at all. That’s where many brands go wrong. Cultural sensitivity can’t be assumed from the outside. It needs to be built into the process.”
When contacted by B&T on the matter, Swatch said: “We have taken note of the recent concerns regarding the portrayal of a model in images for the Swatch ESSENTIALS Collection. We treat this matter with the utmost importance and have immediately removed all related materials worldwide”.
“We sincerely apologise for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused”.
However, the brand did not respond when asked if it consulted its Chinese team in the production of the campaign.
The lesson, she said, is straightforward but too often ignored. “The most powerful way to engage a community is by working with people from that community. Not just to translate, but to shape the work from the start with real insight and lived experience.”
For brands navigating China’s fast-moving consumer culture, missteps like Swatch’s are costly both financially and reputationally. Yue points to her agency’s model as proof that building inclusion into the creative process can create balanced brand campaigns that appeal to all audiences.
“At POLARIS+, that’s how we work. Our team lives and breathes the culture. We help brands avoid these costly missteps and build genuine, lasting relationships with Chinese audiences, based on respect, not assumptions.”
With nearly a third of Swatch Group’s revenue tied to China, Hong Kong and Macau, the company’s next steps will determine whether the current outrage remains a reputational bruise or escalates into a long-term scar.
