Heinz today (26 June) came under attack from a group of UK politicians over its decision to withdraw an advert for Deli Mayo featuring a same-sex kiss.
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The US-based food giant pulled the advert after the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority received 202 complaints from members of the public who found it offensive.
However, Heinz’s decision to stop airing the advert – which substituted a male New York deli worker for the mother in a family – has opened it up to accusations that the company has caved in to bigotry.
A group of six Labour politicians filed a motion in the House of Commons calling on Heinz to reinstate the advertisement. They said the decision to pull the commercial was “ill-considered” and likely to offend gay people.
Heinz spokesperson Michael Mullen told just-food that the company would not reconsider airing the advert.
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By GlobalData“The ad was intended to be humorous and was not intended to be an advocacy ad,” he said. “It failed in its attempt to be humorous and offended people on all sides and that is why we pulled the ad. Heinz has no plans to air the commercial again and we apologize for the ads misplaced attempt at humour.”
