The advertisement, posted on social media by Rannarootsi on Tuesday, shows two men in black shirts with Ukrainian flags on them, grilling meat on a beach as plumes of smoke rise into the sky in the distance behind them.

The slogan, promoting the brand's new barbecue pork with caramelized onions, reads: "The right grill will turn a bitter onion sweet." ("Õige grill muudab kibeda sibula magusaks.")

Critics said the combination of imagery is an inflammatory reference to the Russia-Ukraine war. The word sibul, or onion, meanwhile, is also used in Estonian as a derogatory slang term for Russians, including local Russian-speakers.

In recent months, Ukraine has made global headlines with its strikes on Russian targets, including in Leningrad and Pskov oblasts, both of which border Estonia to the east.

In late March, smoke plumes from a fire at Russia's Ust-Luga port following a Ukrainian strike were clearly visible from parts of Northeastern Estonia, a region with a predominantly Russian-speaking population.

The smoke was visible from as far away as Sillamäe, about 50 kilometers southwest of Ust-Luga, along a stretch of coastline resembling the backdrop in the Rannarootsi advertisement.

Kõlvart: 'Who benefits from this?'

Center Party leader Mihhail Kõlvart was among those who criticized the campaign. He said businesses have the right to choose their marketing strategies, but should avoid imagery that many people may view as degrading or dehumanizing.

"Amid the current difficult geopolitical situation, with security risks higher than ever, this inevitably begs the question: who benefits from such provocations?" Kõlvart wrote, noting that an advertisement like this certainly won't help Ukraine.

"Who gains from adding fuel to the fire when our society is already facing too much distrust, division, pain and anger?" he added.

Rannarootsi CEO Karmo Aksel denied that the advertisement was meant to convey any political or hostile messages.

"It's directly connected to our product and its ingredient — caramelized onion," Aksel told ERR's Russian-language online news portal. "The slogan refers specifically to that product."

CEO denies knowing slang term

Aksel said he only learned after the advertisement had been published that the word sibul can have a negative meaning in certain contexts.

"I'm more aware of that now," the CEO said, denying any ill intentions. "When we came up with that post, we had only that product in mind."

The imagery, he added, was inspired by people's newsfeeds today. "Every day, we see those plumes of smoke in the news," Aksel said.

The company also denied claims the advertisement targets any specific ethnic groups living in Estonia.

"The text refers to the product, while the image reflects today's media landscape," Aksel emphasized. "These were simply two things that came together. We did not intend to spark any conflict with our ad."

No plans to take it down

While the CEO acknowledged that the message was not received as intended by the company's marketing department and could have been designed differently, Rannarootsi does not plan to remove the post, even amid calls to boycott its products.

"The post has already taken on a life of its own," he said. "What would be the point of deleting it now?"

According to the company, its marketing director was unavailable for comment while on vacation.

By Thursday afternoon, the original post on Rannarootsi's Facebook page had garnered over 7,500 reactions and 1,800 comments with mixed reactions.

"Don't worry, we'll keep buying your products," wrote one confirming their continued support of the brand.

Others praised the advertisement, even using the word sibul themselves to refer to critics of the campaign.

"Glad to see the sibulad burn up over this!" wrote one such commenter. "Tomorrow I'll be filling up my cart with Rannarootsi products."

'Sell meat, not ethnic hatred'

Many shared their dismay, however, calling the company's advertisement "shameful" and vowing to stop buying their products.

"Seriously?! Every joke contains a grain of truth, and the rest reflects the maker's real attitude," wrote one commenter. "VERY lame joke. VERY. That's one less family buying your products."

"Sell meat, not ethnic hatred," wrote another.

A third called Rannarootsi's approach "absolutely disgusting" and unprofessional. "Any company that uses references to ethnic hostility and war in its advertising has lost all credibility," they said.

Among the comments were also those who were critical of some elements of the product campaign, but not necessarily all.

"The word sibul itself didn't make me angry at all," wrote one commenter, adding they were more bothered by a business making light of war and the suffering involved.

"It doesn't matter which side people support — people are dying there," they continued. "But people are making jokes and ads about it. That's exactly the kind of political messaging that makes people turn against and insult one another. That shouldn't go without consequences, Rannarootsi."

Rannarootsi Lihatööstus is one of Estonia's largest meat producers, with facilities in Lääne County producing products including sausages, ham, bacon and barbecue meat distributed nationwide.

The company split from Maag Group last year, continuing operations as an independent company with a staff of more than 230. In the nine months since, Rannarootsi reported revenue of €38.1 million and net profit of €4.7 million.

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