Heinz, the American food giant known for its ketchup, mac and cheese, and pickles, is facing backlash over an advertisement in a London subway station that many have criticized as racist. The company has since issued an apology.
On Sunday, local media outlets like The Guardian reported Heinz’s controversial pasta sauce advertisement was placed in London Underground’s Vauxhall and Manor House stations.
A bride is seen enjoying pasta without worrying about sauce staining her dress. To her left are the groom’s parents, and next to the groom sits a woman who appears to be the bride’s mother.
Heinz explained that the intent was to show the bride carefree, enjoying the pasta sauce. However, many internet users took issue with the ad, arguing it perpetuates negative stereotypes by implying that the woman in the mixed-race wedding comes from a single-parent household.
The Independent reported that many people raised concerns about the absence of the bride’s father in the advertisement, suggesting it reinforces harmful stereotypes about Black families.
Criticism of the ad quickly spread across social media, with British writer and broadcaster Nels Abey amplifying the issue by sharing the ad photo and calling out the lack of representation of Black fathers.
“It’s shocking that a mainstream brand completely erased Black fathers. I can’t believe this ad got approved,” one user wrote. Another added, “Not including a Black father is unfair. I’m glad someone pointed this out.”
As the backlash intensified, Heinz stated, “We will listen to public opinion and learn to prevent such incidents from happening again.”
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