Heinz decided to pull a commercial for their Deli Mayo after receiving about 200 complaints in less than a week:
The complaints stated that the commercial was “offensive” and “inappropriate to see two men kissing”. Wake up! I’m pretty sure that even in the UK, same-sex relationship exist. To be deemed “inappropriate” seems a little harsh. It was launched in the UK by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO – their first ad since winning Heinz’s $20 million UK account last year. Unfortunately it may be their last as well. The ad was meant to be humorous, displaying an English family with an Italian “mom” or chef, which goes along with the whole Heinz Deli theme. I think it did a pretty good job at being funny. Clearly, other people have different thoughts.
“Other complaints included that the ad was ‘unsuitable to be seen by children’ and that it raised the difficult problem of parents having to discuss the issue of same-sex relationships with younger viewers.” Even though this ad wasn’t allowed to be shown in or around children’s programming because of the Mayo’s fat and sugar content. I’m sure by 2009, we’ve all been exposed to some sort of same-sex relationship. I don’t see this commercial being confusing in this sense.
I guess I’m just a little disappointed that it received so many complaints. I don’t blame Heinz for pulling it from the air – it’s not good for business to leave up an ad that receives so many complains. I also commend Abbott Mead Vickers, being a marketing major I can understand the controversy that can go along with creating an ad like this and I’m glad they went through with it. Unfortunately the UK isn’t quite ready for it. I guess they do take a while to catch on to some things – hygiene?
The irony in my mind is that Europe in general, although the UK less so, is considerably more liberal and open-minded when it comes to matters of sexuality and sex than North America. I suspect that this ad would have met with similar if not more criticism over here. Particularly the US, not so much perhaps in Canada. The primary factor in the level of complaints in my mind would be that the type of person most likely to be offended in some way (ie. the ultra-conservative) is also the same type of person who is most likely to complain about it.
I liked the ad, found it quite apt.