Click here to read the Spanish version.
An advertising campaign has put an entire autonomous community on a war footing. It is a billboard for which the company Almirall, produces the well-known drug Almax. In it, you can see an Asturian fabada and it reads «Enjoy Asturias without acidity«. Finally, the company has withdrawn the campaign.
It all started when the billboards associated heartburn with the famous Asturian dish appeared. However, that aroused the rejection of the gastronomic brotherhood ‘Amigos de les Fabes‘. Together with the Villaviciosa City Council, they complained in writing about this publicity campaign.
They were not the only ones. Also, the president of the region, the socialist Adrián Barbón asked the company to apologize and to withdraw the campaign «immediately» because he considered it «disrespectful«.
The institutions complained that the ideas that this ad spread affected the image of the «gastronomic benchmark» of Asturias and spoke of the fact that it launched ideas «not rigorous» resorting to a «simplification» of this dish.
The company has confirmed to La Nueva España the withdrawal of all posters after stating that «they did not want to offend anyone» and that they have «no problem» in withdrawing the campaign. He has also added that they created this advertisement «with the best intention«.
It is not the only advertisement that has caused resentment among hoteliers, an advertising campaign has also been carried out in Valencia with the same style but with the famous Valencian paella.
The Conhostur and Hostelería Valencia associations have demanded the removal of these posters because they «disparage» the star product of the community.