Shoe brand Converse triggered a controversy after its latest ad surfaced online. In the video, a woman is seen grabbing something that resembles a rope that people are likening to a lynching. Additionally, netizens are claiming the imagery portrayed by her skirt is that of a KKK hood, making the whole ad “racist.”Another ad, part of the Converse × Palmes collection and featuring two Jack Purcell PDMs, shows a boy sitting on a ladder and grabbing a pair of these tennis shoes hanging from a tree. It is also compared to lynching.Actress, producer, writer, and host Yvette Nicole Brown responded to the Converse ad via Threads. She wrote:“That’s a lynching, yes?”Converse is facing criticism from Yvette Nicole Brown. (Image via Threads)The Community star added in the comments:“AND a Klan robe. D*mn @converse [broken heart emoji].”Brown calls out Converse. (Image via Threads)Journalist, social media influencer, and photographer Zach Berger also shared his opinion about the latest Converse ad.“No, you’re not crazy. Yes, the Converse ad is racist. Yes, it looks like a Klan outfit. Yes, it looks like a lynching. And no, ‘it’s just a shoe ad’ is not a defence,” Berger wrote on Threads.Converse continues to face heat for its new ad. (Image via Threads)Converse, owned by Nike, has yet to address the controversy.More about previous Nike controversies amid Converse ad backlashIn September 2018, Nike launched its “Just Do It: 30th Anniversary” ad campaign featuring several American athletes, including NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. It featured a black-and-white image of Kaepernick telling customers to:“Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”At the time, the hashtag #JustDoIt began trending online. However, when Trump stated that the ad was a “terrible message… that shouldn’t be sent,” other conservatives rallied behind the politician and condemned the ad.The backlash was mainly directed at Colin Kaepernick, who began the tradition of kneeling during the U.S. national anthem in 2016 to protest against police brutality, dubbed the “Bend the Knee” NFL protest.Conservatives went online and posted videos and images of burnt Nike products using the hashtag #JustBurnIt. In fact, country musician John Rich tweeted an image of a pair of Nike socks cut off and captioned:“Our Soundman just cut the Nike swoosh off his socks. Former Marine. Get ready @Nike, multiply that by the millions.”Nike’s stock fell 3 per cent initially but later went up by 7 per cent, adding $6 billion in profits from the Kaepernick campaign. Nike CEO Mark Parker also said Kaepernick’s campaign delivered “record engagement with the brand.”Meanwhile, other celebrities like Russell Crowe, Serena Williams, and Common lauded Kaepernick’s ad and used the hashtag #JustDoIt.In July 2019, Nike pulled the ad promoting its Air Max 1 USA shoe, which featured a Revolutionary-era flag of the USA with only 13 white stars. According to The Wall Street Journal, the brand’s star endorser, Colin Kaepernick, said that the flag was “offensive” due to its connection to the slavery era. The collection was to go on sale for the 4th of July holiday.The decision to pull the ad triggered backlash among conservatives who accused Nike of belittling U.S. history. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey even asked the State Commerce Authority to withdraw funds from Nike to build a shoe plant in the state in a tweet.Back then, Nike released a statement which said:“We pulled the shoe based on concerns that it could unintentionally offend and detract from the nation’s patriotic holiday… Nike is a company proud of its American heritage and our continuing engagement supporting thousands of American athletes including the US Olympic team and US Soccer teams.”Earlier this year, in February, Nike came under a federal investigation for allegedly discriminating against its white workers through its DEI policies. A motion was filed in a Missouri federal court that Nike complies with a subpoena for more information, according to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission report.In response, Nike said that the subpoena was a “surprising and unusual escalation”, but pledged to cooperate with the EEOC. It further told The Associated Press:“We have shared thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses to the EEOC's inquiry and are in the process of providing additional information. We follow all applicable laws, including those that prohibit discrimination. We believe our programs and practices are consistent with those obligations and take these matters seriously.”The current status of the investigation remains unknown.