Washington, Sept. 21 -- Converse has pulled a social media advertisement featuring aespa singer Karina after the campaign drew intense backlash from critics who said its imagery evoked the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and lynching.

As per Fox News, the Nike subsidiary apologised and said it had removed the advertisement from its channels and was working to take it down everywhere it appeared.

The campaign promoted Converse's Chuck 70 X and Run Star Crush sneakers. In the advertisement, Karina is shown holding black high-top shoes beneath a star-shaped spotlight while wearing a long white skirt.

Critics focused on the lighting and shadows around Karina, saying the resulting white, pointed silhouette resembled a KKK hood.

The dangling sneakers we...