Luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co has removed an ad from its social media accounts due to concerns that it could be interpreted as a show of support for Hong Kong protesters.
The ad was centered around an image of Chinese model Sun Feifei covering her right eye with her hand. It prompted criticism from internet users in China for looking like the "eye for an eye" gesture used by anti-government protesters in Hong Kong.
The gesture became widespread in the movement after a young woman suffered a serious eye injury during clashes between protesters and police in August.
Police said they could not determine the cause of the injury, while protesters believe she was hit by a beanbag round fired by an officer. Demonstrators have since adopted a "covering the right eye" gesture to express their anger toward the police.
On Tuesday, Tiffany said it would stop using the image due to perceived political connotations. Recent posts containing the photo seemed to have been removed from the brand's Twitter and Facebook pages.
"This campaign image, which was photographed in May 2019, was in no way intended to be a political statement of any kind," the company said in an email to Inkstone.
"We regret that it may be perceived as such, and in turn have removed the image from our digital and social media channels and will discontinue its use effective immediately."
Sun was one of five models shot by photographer Craig McDean for Tiffany's spring 2019 campaign. Supermodels Carolyn Murphy and Kendall Jenner were also featured.
That campaign was launched well before the anti-government movement in Hong Kong started in June.
In mainland China, the continuing unrest in Hong Kong has prompted nationalist outrage from those who accuse the protesters of trying to push for the city's independence.
For businesses and celebrities, any sign of support for Hong Kong protesters could lead to boycott calls in the mainland. The NBA is currently facing a backlash after the general manager of the Houston Rockets voiced support for Hong Kong protesters in a tweet.
It's unclear exactly when the latest Tiffany image of Sun drew attention from Chinese nationalists. On Monday, some people left angry comments on her Weibo page.
"Please explain your 'covering one eye' ad," one comment said. "Do you support Hong Kong independence?"
"If you love your country, please ask your agency to make a statement about the Tiffany ad," read another. "Don't think all Chinese have gone blind like you."
Luxury brands like Tiffany have seen their Hong Kong businesses suffer during the recent protests. Big-spending mainland tourists have stayed away from the city, while shopping malls are often closed amid violent clashes.
Last month, Tiffany CEO Alessandro Bogliogo told Bloomberg the company planned to open more stores in mainland China, adding that the Shanghai flagship store would become its most important outlet after the iconic 5th Avenue store in New York City made famous in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's.
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