Converse Pulls Controversial Ad + Ed Sheeran Addresses Macklemore Fallout | Essential ELR 9.21.26

Essential Ebro Laura Rosenberg · Sep 21, 2026 · 33m

Ebro and Laura dig into the backlash surrounding a Converse campaign image that critics said evoked a KKK hood and lynching imagery. Converse removed the ad and apologized, but the conversation turns to a bigger question: how does an image like that make it through multiple layers of a major corporate marketing operation, and was outrage itself part of the strategy? Later, Ed Sheeran addresses the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from his tour. Sheeran apologizes for mistakes, says venues should not pre-approve performers’ content and speaks publicly about the humanitarian crisis…