Kim Kardashian’s latest Skims spectacle, a massive 60-foot blow-up doll of the 44-year-old co-founder lounging in Times Square, aimed to hype the brand’s new swimwear collection, but the internet’s dunking on it instead.
Unveiled Tuesday, per Vibe, the balloon strutted a sky-blue Skims bikini, echoing Kim’s Bahamas shoot, and stayed up until March 5 under the eye of parade guru Amy Kule, just before the March 6 swimwear launch.
While Kim’s Instagram reel from the beach shoot scored love (minus the odd “Free Tory” shouts), her Times Square stunt flopped hard; one critic even sneered, “It looks embarrassed to be there.” Undeterred, Kim flaunted her inflatable twin in an expired Story, gushing, “OMG…I can’t believe there’s a 60-foot float of me in SKIMS Swim in the middle of Times Square,” but X users weren’t buying it, with one jabbing, “#NYC is so broke they let #KimKardashian buy a 60-foot installation,” and a local griping, “It was disturbing and unnecessary, especially with kids around.” Controversy’s no stranger to SKIMS, though—Kim’s been dodging flak since day one, like when the brand’s original name, Kimono Intimates, sparked outrage for disrespecting Japanese culture, forcing a rebrand.
Fast forward to March 2025, and Newsweek reports the menswear promo caught heat for spotlighting male athletes during Women’s History Month, with critics lamenting the missed chance to feature female basketball stars—though some fans clapped back, defending it as a smart plug for the new men’s line.
From the Times Square fiasco to past PR stumbles, Kim’s bold moves keep stirring the pot.
So, is this 60-foot float a marketing slam dunk or another SKIMS swing-and-miss?
You tell us—drop your take below!