Belgian fast-food chain Bicky Burger pulls 'sickening' Facebook ad following complaints

Bicky Burger faced intense backlash over this ad. Photo / Twitter

A Belgian burger joint is at the centre of a major backlash over a social media ad critics claimed incited violence against women.

The furore began on Tuesday when the Bicky Burger chain posted the ad on Facebook.

The cartoon depicted an angry suit-clad man punching a woman in a plunging red dress in the face because she gave him the wrong hamburger.

The disturbing graphic included the quote, "Serieux, un faux Bicky?" which translates to "Serious, a fake Bicky?" in English.

The ad sparked an outpouring of outrage, with Belgian politicians labelling it as "sickening" and "irresponsible", according to the BBC.

The ad was soon deleted, and owner Goodlife Foods publicly apologised, claiming it regretted the incident.

"We very much regret that this message gives the impression of promoting such ways of thinking. We had no intention of inciting violence, we see that the subject has opened a debate in the media," the company said in a statement released a day after the post was shared, according to The Brussels Times.

But the damage had already been done, with scores of social media users slamming the company across social media.

One of the most outspoken critics was Bénédicte Linard, vice-president of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which advocates for women's rights.

She tweeted it was "totally irresponsible" to joke about domestic violence.

It was a sentiment echoed by Belgian politician Nawal Ben Hamou, who wrote on Facebook that the post was "sickening and totally irresponsible".

"This shows how much we still need to fight violence against women," she wrote.

"This is a priority of the Brussels Government. And you can count on my commitment and determination."

She also announced she planned to file the complaint before Belgium's Jury d'Éthique Publicitaire, an organisation that investigates ethics within the publicity industry.

Hundreds of formal complaints have also been lodged with Belgian advertising bodies.

The backlash has been so intense some social media users called on fellow Belgians to boycott the fast-food chain altogether in future, although others pointed out the controversy at least put the serious and increasing issue of violence against women under the public spotlight.

"I hope everyone in Belgium will boycott these dangerous idiots," one Twitter user wrote, while another added: "I see real men eat real @GoForRealBicky burgers & beat the sh*t out of any women who get in the way of the real thing! So glad we also got some cleavage in there with the violence towards women! Just what real men need: t**s & real Bicky Burgers!"