Capital use of a Red anthem

Is it the Diary’s imagination, or is someone at Leo Burnett having a laugh at McDonald’s expense? The ad created by the agency for the food giant’s Italian burger features a song called Bella Ciao – an anthem of the Italian Communist Party.

What with McDonald’s buying a stake in Pret a Manger, with its red star symbol, one could be forgiven for thinking there is a clandestine, far-left agenda afoot to pacify the anti-corporate movement.

Leo Burnett was unavailable for comment and McDonald’s was frankly bemused. A spokeswoman says: “The record is a library track, meaning anyone can buy the rights for a certain length of time. Bella Ciao is fun and relevant to consumers. The agency was probably unaware of other associations.”

The Diary suggests a special Red menu, featuring such Marxist treats as Togliatti Burgers and Gramsci Quarter Pounders with Lenin fries.