Scary advert... A flyer made to look like a utilities’ bill is the source of many a fright. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

A flyer advertising a comedy show, that was designed to look like a water and electricity bill of nearly €2,000, was no joke for many of the people who received it.

To me the advert was in very bad taste- Arms Limited chairman

About 40 mainly elderly consumers contacted the offices of Arms Ltd, which issues the bills, in a panic after getting the flyer at home.

“It’s quite obvious, once you open the flyer, that it’s not a real bill but a lot of people got worried… To me the advert was in very bad taste,” Arms Limited chairman Wilfred Borg said.

Carefully folded in three, the exposed part of the A4 size flyer looks just like the top of a bill – with a total due of €1,898.50 – causing many a heart to stop beating momentarily.

Unfolding the paper reveals the mocking words: Ħadt Qatgħa? (Did you get a fright?), followed by an invitation to watch the comedy Zoo Goes No Politics?!

Owen Bonnici, from Zoo entertainment company, stressed that the company never intended to harm anyone. The aim of the flyer was to grab people’s attention – something it clearly achieved.

“The utility bill is a very hot political issue in Malta and it’s in line with the content of the show… We were quite surprised that people jumped to conclusions only on the amount,” he said, pointing out that people ignored the fact that the flyer did not come in an envelope, there were no personal details and no mention of Arms.

He said some people called the Zoo helpline on the flyer to complain about it. Others congratulated the company over the eye-catching, clever advert.

Before printing it, the company sought legal advice. In fact, it comes with a disclaimer saying: “Zoo Media and Entertainment Limited specialises in entertainment activities and this flyer should be treated as such.”

The flyer invites people to take a photo of their frightened face as they saw the bill and post it on Facebook with the possibility of winning jewellery. They can also fill in a section of the flyer with their details to win a photovoltaic panel and slash their electricity bills.

Mr Borg, from Arms, said the advertiser ignored the fact that there were people out there who could take the matter seriously.

We were quite surprised that people jumped to conclusions only on the amount- Zoo

“From my experience, Maltese take their bills very seriously,” he said, adding that Arms had referred the matter to a lawyer.

Tony Cachia was among the hundreds of people who received the mail shot. He wrote a letter to The Times criticising the insensitive humour.

“Our electricity bill is long overdue so this morning when in the post I receive the familiar… bill I assumed that finally it had arrived… Imagine my utter shock... It took me a few moments to realise that this was just an advertising gimmick,” he wrote.

Mr Cachia questioned how an elderly person on “a meagre pension” would react and whether the flyer constituted fair advertising.

In another letter received, a woman wrote on behalf of a 71-year-old man who recently suffered a stroke.

“He received the enclosed communication in his post and almost had a heart attack… he does not have savings and lives on his pension,” she wrote.