Turkish beauty company Biomen has produced an advert that uses footage of Adolf Hitler to hawk its hair products. The result is one of the most jaw-droppingly controversial ad campaigns that we've ever seen. Watch the video below to see what we mean:
Unsurprisingly, the ad has been met with accusations of antisemitism.
In statement released today, Turkey's Chief Rabbi: "We would like to remind once again that it's totally unacceptable to make use of Hitler - the most striking example of cruelty and savagery in history, who caused the death of millions of people with his perverse mentality and twisted ideology - in order to make a difference or raise awareness in a commercial. We reprimand this mindset and emphasize the importance of a public apology in order to repair the damage that this commercial has caused to the society's conscience."
Abraham H Foxman, the Anti Defamation League's National Director and Holocaust survivor published a letter sent by the ADL to Turkey's Ambassador to the US. The ADL called on Turkey's government to make clear the offensive nature of this advertisement. "That this advertisement was created in Turkey, for a Turkish audience, when Turkey is so justifiably proud of its history as a haven for Jews, and in light of its recent projects promoting education about and awareness of the Holocaust, is particularly troubling."
Troubling indeed.