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Offensive Advertising, Public Policy, and the Law: The Rulings on the Zagorka Case

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Abstract

This paper examines the case of a controversial beer advertisement which was promulgated in Bulgaria in 2001, and which provoked eight lawsuits against the brewery, its advertising agency, and the Bulgarian National Television. The case set a precedent in Bulgaria and generated considerable public interest and debate. To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first case in Eastern Europe when individuals have challenged companies in the courts of law because of offence caused by an advertisement. The present study discusses how the public bodies responsible for protecting consumer interests and the courts of first instance assessed the advertisement in the context of Bulgarian public policy regarding offensive advertising.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Accounting, Finance and Management, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, Essex, United Kingdom

    Elena Millan

  2. Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom

    Richard Elliott

Authors
  1. Elena Millan
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  2. Richard Elliott
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Correspondence to Elena Millan.

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Millan, E., Elliott, R. Offensive Advertising, Public Policy, and the Law: The Rulings on the Zagorka Case. J Consum Policy 27, 475–493 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-004-2719-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-004-2719-0

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