Estonian meat product manufacturer Rannarootsi found itself at the center of a public scandal due to an advertisement that part of the public perceived as a hint at the Russian-Ukrainian war and disrespect towards Russians. The company denies any political subtext but refuses to remove the publication. This was reported by the Estonian publication ERR.
On social media, Rannarootsi published an image showing two men in black t-shirts with Ukrainian flags grilling meat on a beach, with plumes of smoke rising in the background. The advertisement is accompanied by the slogan: "The right grill will turn bitter onion into sweet".
Read also: Drones again attacked Russian Wildberries warehouses and a plant involved in missile production
The word "onion" became the cause of the dispute. In the Estonian language, sibul is not only the name of the vegetable but is also used as an offensive slang term for Russians. Additionally, users connected the smoke in the image with Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port of Ust-Luga, the fire after which was visible from the Estonian coast in the spring.
The campaign was sharply criticized by the leader of the Center Party, Mihhail Kõlvart. He stated that such an advertisement "deepens the division in society and promotes dehumanization".
At the same time, the CEO of Rannarootsi, Karmo Axel, assured that the advertisement contains no political subtext. According to him, the slogan refers exclusively to caramelized onions, and he only learned about the offensive meaning of the word sibul after the publication.
The manager also admitted that the idea of a smoky background was inspired by the news, as "people see such plumes of smoke in the news every day." At the same time, he emphasized that the company had no intention of offending any ethnic group or provoking conflict.
Despite the wave of criticism and calls to boycott the products, Rannarootsi does not plan to remove the advertisement. According to Axel, the post has already "taken on a life of its own," so removing it would make no sense.
As of Friday, July 24, the publication has garnered over 16.5 thousand reactions and 3,700 comments. Some users supported the brand, while others called the advertisement unacceptable and stated that they would no longer buy the company's products.
We remind you that on the night of July 24, drones attacked two key logistics centers of the Wildberries company in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, as well as the "Aviatech" enterprise in Kirov, Russia, which works for the Russian defense industry.
