BERLIN (AP) — The Austrian branch of McDonald's says it will paste over a slogan that drew the ire of Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini on posters in an Italy-themed ad campaign.
McDonald's put up posters with the slogan "Fuer echte Mampfiosi," or "for real Mampfiosi" — the latter apparently a play on the German "Mampf," meaning "chow," and mafiosi. Salvini on Sunday tweeted a picture of a billboard with the comment: "Italians all Mafiosi? How sad."
The company's Austrian branch said Tuesday the offending slogan will be pasted over with the words "Fuer echte Amici" ("for real friends") in the coming days. Marketing director Joerg Pizzera said that "of course it wasn't our intention to insult Italians in any way and we apologize to all those who feel insulted."
