'Be like Madame Bruni

London, April 28 (IANS) 'Be like Madame Bruni, take a small French model', says an advertisement that mocks President Nicolas Sarkozy's short stature and has caused a stir in France.

Sixt, a German car hire firm, has urged customers to rent a small Citroen C3 hatchback through the advertising campaign, Daily Mail reported Wednesday.

'These advertisements are entitled to be funny and we need to inject a little fun into our business after such a difficult period experienced by many of our clients,' Sixt president in France, Jean-Philippe Doyen, was quoted as saying.

The international media has often pointed out the height difference between First Lady Carla Bruni, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall, and her husband who is 5 feet 5 inches tall.

The firm could face legal action for referring to Bruni and Sarkozy in a promotional campaign. 'People have been sued for this kind of thing before,' French daily Le Parisien observed.

Sarkozy is one of the world's shortest heads of state. He is a little taller than North Korea's Kim Jong-Il and Russia's Dmitry Medvedev, both of whom stand at 5 feet 3 inches.

To make up for the height difference, Bruni has been photographed wearing flat soles while Sarkozy wears specially-made 'stacked heels' to make him appear two inches taller, the media report said.