Given the popularity of cats that look like Hitler and houses that appear to be sporting the Fuhrer's moustache, it was only a matter of time before entertainers appropriated the image for their own use.

But the decision by the organisers of the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal to advertise a play using an image of a baby with the characteristic facial hair of the Nazi leader has still caused consternation.

A spokesman for the Canadian Jewish organisation B'nai Brith labelled the image insensitive to the memory of the victims of the Nazi regime. Steven Slimovitch said: "Any kind of connection to Hitler is still an open wound for many people,"

The offending image appeared on posters for the play "Le Prenom", which follows a father who names his son Adolf. The festival's organiser said he chose the image because it was "striking and controversial".

But after seeing the play Mr Slimovitch said he was satisfied that it was actually "a condemnation of hatred" and that the posters were not offensive.

"We wouldn't have chosen that type of poster," he said, but he admitted: "We can understand where it came from and the important thing is the message and the message is that hatred is unacceptable."