Giant Bikini Balloon in the Heart of New York... Celebrity Faces Backlash for Being "Tacky"

Kim Kardashian's SKIMS Marketing Event Draws Criticism
Giant Female Balloon Promotes New Swimwear Collection
"Confidence Matters" vs "Inappropriate for Public Spaces"

Marketing event for 'SKIMS,' the underwear brand by Hollywood celebrity and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian, is being criticized as outdated. On the 5th (local time), Reuters reported, "On this day, SKIMS installed a 60-foot (about 18m) tall giant balloon of a woman in a bikini right in the middle of Times Square, New York, USA."

Promotional balloon for SKIMS swimwear collection installed in Times Square, New York, USA. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News.

A female balloon wearing the same blue triangle bikini that Kardashian recently wore in a photoshoot is displayed to promote the latest swimwear collection. The woman raised both arms above her head to cover her eyes, and below her, a 1.2m tall blue deck with the brand logo was installed.

As soon as the installation was unveiled, netizens immediately expressed discomfort. One X (formerly Twitter) user sarcastically commented, "Even the balloon seems like it doesn't want to be here," while another pointed out, "It's a public place where children also watch, so it's inappropriate." Other criticisms poured in, such as "It unrealistically represents the female body," "The worst marketing?tacky and lacking empathy," and "It infringes on public spaces."

However, Kardashian shared photos of the installation on her social media, exclaiming, "I can't believe my swimwear balloon is floating right in the middle of Times Square." The official SKIMS account also promoted it, saying, "SKIMS swimwear has taken over Times Square."

Earlier, Kardashian attracted attention by releasing photos of the new swimwear collection on social media. She stated, "This collection was designed for everyone to enjoy. Whether on vacation or at the beach, feeling confident and fabulous is the most important thing." Kardashian serves as the brand's lead model and announced plans to collaborate with global sports brand Nike to launch new activewear in February.

Launched in 2019, SKIMS specializes in shapewear, loungewear, homewear, and innerwear. SKIMS' sales last year reached $750 million (about 963.4 billion KRW), and the company is valued at $4 billion (about 5.1 trillion KRW).