A nun enjoying, perhaps, too much.
A bride with a tomato stain on her dress.
A grandmother who is not generous.
They are the insights that VML Spain has led to Heinz’s new advertising campaign in order to advertise its family-sized pasta sauce. Graduated “Family Portraits” The graphics portray a group of nuns, a grandmother with her grandchildren or a wedding table. All of them are “family photos” in which one of the protagonists enjoys a plate of pasta with Heinz sauce.
But one of these images has not convinced the black community in ukwhere the campaign has been active these days – in the Vauxhall and Manor House stations of the London Underground – unleashing controversy due to the fact that The father of the bride does not appear at the wedding table.
The writer and columnist of The Guardian, Nels Abbey published this tweet a few days ago, which has gone viral on Elon Musk’s social network.
Users have been expressing their indignation with the fact that the bride’s father does not appear in the photo and many have suggested with their comments that ad perpetuates negative stereotypes about black fathers.
“The total erasure of black fathers by such a mainstream brand is shocking. How was this approved?” either “The interracial relationship is beautiful and they wanted to keep five people at the table, but the elimination of black parents is not fair”are some of the comments made towards Heinz’s campaign.
Given the controversy unleashed by the graphics of this campaign, Heinz has had to issue a public apology and, in a statements official to which you have had access reason.Whyhave stated that they appreciate “the public’s point of view on our campaigns. We understand how this ad may have unintentionally perpetuated negative stereotypes and extend our deepest apologies. “We will continue to listen, learn and improve to prevent this from happening again in the future.”
From reason.Why We have also contacted the agency VML Spain to obtain a vision of the creative agency regarding all the controversy generated by its campaign. We will expand this information as soon as we have a response.
However, it should be noted that in the graph you can read in small print, in the lower right corner of the image, a disclaimer which says: “Based on a true story”. On the other hand, there are users on social networks speculating with a defense of the brand by pointing out that at the wedding table the father of the bride traditionally sits next to the mother of the groom, so the man on the left of the image would be in reality the father of the bride and the one who does not appear in the scene would then be the father of the groom.