Turkish Hitler ad pulled after Jewish community protests

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(JTA) — A Turkish advertisement that uses Adolf Hitler to sell men’s shampoo has been pulled following protests by the Jewish community in Turkey.

The advertisers said Tuesday that the commercial, which features a clip of Hitler delivering an impassioned speech with a voiceover urging men to use Biomen shampoo, would not be used anymore. The ad ran on a Turkish sports channel.

“Decisive action by the leaders of the Turkish Jewish Community mobilized national and international public opinion against the shockingly offensive use of Hitler imagery for commercial purposes,” said David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee. “And in short order, the company responsible for this outrage reversed course.”

Turkish Jewish community leaders credited leading Turkish newspapers, including Milliyet and Hurriyet, with rallying public criticism of the commercial, and expressed gratitude for supportive commentary in news media and by Jewish organizations around the world, according to AJC.

In the ad, the dubbed-over Hitler says, "If you are not wearing women’s dress, you shouldn’t be using women’s shampoo either!”

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