The advertisement agency Saatchi & Saatchi Bulgaria sent Friday one finely embroidered traditional Bulgarian style shirt to the Australian advertisement agency M&C Saatchi and the Australian shirt manufacturing company Herringbone, in relation to their ad for handmade shirts, which included sarcastic remarks about Bulgarians.

The two companies are also going to receive a letter asking them to return the Silver Lion award they received at the advertisement festival in Cannes and to apologize for the insult.

This activity was generated by an ad representing Bulgarians as a nation without finesse and sophistication comparing the Herringbone tailor's small hands to the hands of Bulgarians with fingers fat as sausages.

"It is a fact that ads often use metaphors, even dark humor as an original way to boost the main qualities of their product. However, it is unacceptable for an advertisement to offend the dignity of an entire nation and to undermine moral values and norms, especially by using unreal facts and visions," said Milim Dzhalaliev, Executive Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Bulgaria.

The insulting ad generated strong reaction in Bulgarian on-line advertising forums and serious public response in Bulgaria. The Australian advertisement agency has been swamped by indignant emails from many Bulgarians.

The M&C Saatchi* company has been on the market since 1995 and is not represented in Bulgaria. It is also not connected to the leading Saatchi & Saatchi advertisement agency, which was established in 1970 in Great Britain and is represented in Bulgaria by Saatchi & Saatchi Bulgaria.

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