The online ad for grilled meat with caramelized onions drew significant attention as it evoked both the Russia-Ukraine War and a known slur for Russian speakers in Estonia.

The company behind the product, Rannarootsi, has faced both pushback and approval in the aftermath of the campaign but, according to Tiina Hiob, a lecturer in advertising theory at Tallinn University, it is too early to assess whether the advertising has benefited or harmed the company.

"They have undoubtedly gained attention, and brand awareness has probably increased," Hiob said, noting a rising trend for brands to build product awareness and sales by apparently commenting on socially important and value-based issues.

One example Hiob gave was a campaign from back in 2001 by the Children's Foundation (Lastefond), aimed at collecting donations for medical equipment, which depicted a newborn baby with the text "Born 03.33. Died 03.49" and which received negative attention – as well as a surge in donations – before being taken down.

The supermarkets have seen no similar surge yet for Rannarootsi products, however; Maxima said sales are rising at a rate similar to that of a year ago, though factors here can include the weather, other campaigns, and even the payday cycle.

Selver, Prisma, and Rimi have all also reported no change either so far – sales have not gone down for Rannarootsi, nor have they risen.

Rannarootsi's marketing and product manager Madis Sein told ERR News it is too early to assess the impact of the campaign, as the relevant sales figures are not in yet.

The ad for a product containing caramelized onion from Rannarootsi, one of the largest meat companies in Estonia, depicts two men wearing T-shirts with Ukrainian flag shoulder patches, grilling meat on a beach. Smoke plumes are clearly visible in the background. The ad tagline reads: "The right grill will turn a bitter onion sweet."

"Onion" (Estonian: "Sibul") is sometimes used as a derogatory term for Russian speakers in Estonia, while the smoke in the background seemed to resemble the aftermath of a Ukrainian strike on Russia's Ust-Luga port in spring, smoke from which was visible from northeastern Estonia.

Critics highlighted the deepening of social divisions the ad could bring as well as resulting national security issues, all in the interests of selling a product.

Rannarootsi CEO Karmo Aksel denied any political, warmongering or derogatory intent and claimed he was unaware that "sibul" could be used as a slur. The company says it has no plans to take down the ad, which has gone viral via Facebook.

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