Kanye West, also known as Ye, sparked controversy after an ad promoting his Yeezy clothing brand aired during the Super Bowl, just days before he made antisemitic and sexist remarks on social media. The ad, which ran in select local markets, directed viewers to Yeezy.com—where a white T-shirt with a swastika was later listed for sale, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Super Bowl ad controversy
The 30-second ad, which aired on Fox-owned stations in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Atlanta, showed West in a dentist’s chair discussing new teeth. While the website initially featured standard athletic apparel, it later displayed the offensive T-shirt, causing widespread outrage.
Advertising agency and platforms cut ties
USIM, the agency responsible for placing the ad, claimed it had vetted the website before submitting it to local stations but cut ties with Yeezy on Friday after West’s social media posts surfaced. Shopify, the e-commerce platform hosting Yeezy’s store, shut down the website on Tuesday, stating that the store violated its policies.
Weak local ad screening process
Unlike nationally approved Super Bowl ads, regional ads are managed by local stations, which follow a less stringent approval process. Executives at Fox Sports and the NFL stated they were unaware of the ad before it aired and condemned antisemitism.
Public and corporate backlash
West’s comments last week, which included statements like “whip your Jews” and “I love Hitler,” drew sharp criticism from organizations like the Anti-Defamation League and celebrities such as David Schwimmer. The controversy has once again led to business fallout for West, who has lost partnerships with Adidas, Gap, and others due to past antisemitic remarks.
West has since deleted his X account, but the fallout from his latest remarks and Super Bowl ad continues.
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