In the advertisement, Karina holds a pair of Converse shoes. The brand's signature star is illuminated on the floor, with part of the light pattern falling on the singer's dress. This detail sparked a strong reaction. Some social media users felt that the light triangle on the clothing resembled the characteristic pointed white hood worn by members of the Ku Klux Klan.  Critics also noted how the singer holds the shoes. In their opinion, combined with the triangular shape, the composition could evoke associations with the legs of a hanging person and historical scenes of lynching. The interpretation of the image by users is what matters — the company itself did not claim that such a meaning was intended in the advertisement. ## Converse Removed the Advertisement The Nike-owned brand removed the image and issued an apology after the scandal erupted. "We are very sorry. We understand why this image caused deep outrage, and we acknowledge that we made a mistake," the company's statement said. Converse reported that the photo was removed from its own channels and that they are now trying to delete it from all platforms where it appeared. However, by that time, the image had already spread widely across the internet. "This should not have happened, and in the future, we will work better," the company stated. ## How Was This Advertisement Approved at All? The apologies did not convince all critics. On social media, users began to question how such a controversial image was able to pass the company's internal approval process. Prominent Texas civil rights attorney Lee Merritt also criticized the situation. He pointed out that the advertising campaign should have gone through several stages of review. According to him, the promise to "work better" should mean that such issues are identified before the advertisement is published, not after it has caused outrage. The Ku Klux Klan is one of the oldest and most well-known racist organizations in the United States. It emerged after the Civil War in 1865 and was initially aimed at intimidating freed slaves. Subsequently, Jews, immigrants, and members of other groups also became targets of persecution. One of the most recognizable features of the organization's members became their white robes with pointed hoods.
