Berlusconi leaves his worries behind...

Fri, 22 March, 2013. Silvio Berlusconi is portrayed as a driver of a Ford Figo who “leaves his worries behind”, symbolised by Ruby the Heartstealer, Francesca Pascale and Nicole Minetti tied up and gagged in the boot of the car.

The infamous advert created for Ford India,

with Karima-Ruby, Francesca and Nicole

A drawing appearing on the Ford Figo's ad by Ford India Ltd shows three curvaceous women – namely belly dancer Karima El Mahroug aka Ruby the Heart Breaker, Silvio Berlusconi's girlfriend Francesca Pascale and (former) sweetheart Nicole Minetti – hands a feet tied, muzzled, in the rear booth of a red car, whilst the former Italian prime minister is sitting in front of the vehicle, at the wheel, smiling and showing the V sign.

«Leave your worries behind with Figo's extra-large boot» reads the claim on the bottom of the page, obviously referring to Silvio's headaches about bunga-bunga parties, sex scandal trials, and other matters related to women.

Not exactly something that Berlusconi would find funny – we presume – and not exactly something in a good taste – we might say – considering the poor record of India in terms of behaviour of men towards women.

Berlusconi "figo"

To such an extent, that the Italian liaison of Ford Motor Company had to issue a note saying «We deeply regret for something that should never have happened», finding – obviously – the whole thing disturbing, even though the pictures were never published.

It does not help the fact that the word “Figo” in Italian has the meaning of “heart-throb” or “cool”, probably a coincidence the Indian advertisers of JWT (WPP Group) India's employee might not have realised, since the Berlusconi sketch was not the only one, there was also a sketch about celebrity Paris Hilton (her buckled up worries are the three Kardashians sisters) and another depicting former Formula One's driver Michael Schumacher (who got rid of Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, stuffed in the boot).

Needless to say, what happened will spur some reactions in Italy, a part of the Italians already thought «I reckoned that - in terms of Ford cars -, Silvio was more keen on Escorts».

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