Burger King to pull 'offensive' ad campaign in Spain, Britain
AFP
MADRID - US fast-food chain Burger King promised Wednesday to withdraw an ad in Spain and Britain featuring a wrestler wrapped in a Mexican flag, after Mexico's ambassador to Madrid slammed it as offensive.
In the television and poster ads for Burger King's Texican Whopper burger, a short, paunchy Mexican appears alongside a tall, slim and handsome American cowboy to symbolise the cross-border mix of flavours of the product.
"It presents a stereotype of Mexicans that does not correspond to our reality," he said.
"The respect for our flag is such that in Mexico there are clear laws which establish when our national symbols can be used. As a result, I kindly ask that you consider withdrawing this ad, which offends Mexico and Mexicans."
Burger King said Wednesday that the ad, released in Spain and Britain, was aimed at "promoting a product whose culinary origin is the fusion of American and Mexican cultures."
But it promised to "revise" the campaign "out of respect for Mexican culture and the citizens of Mexico."
The new ad "will focus on the Texican Whopper and will not include any persons nor make use of the Mexican flag," Burger King said in a statement issued in Spanish.
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