 Beanz Meanz Heinz? Not if you live in the UK, where gay rights supporters have been urged to boycott the company after it ditched a TV ad featuring two men kissing.
Lobby group Stonewall called for the boycott of all Heinz products after the company capitulated to 200 complaints about the advertisement for its New York Deli brand of mayonnaise.
"We're shocked that an innocuous ad should have been withdrawn in this way,” Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill said.
“I can't imagine that Heinz would respond to protests about black people featuring in their adverts.
"Our phones have not stopped ringing with supporters who are deeply upset."
The ad showed children picking up their sandwiches from “Mum” on their way to school. The "Mum", however, was a male New York deli worker.
When the father of the house grabbed his sandwich and said goodbye, ‘Mum’ asked: "Hey, ain't you forgetting something?"
The father then gave ‘Mum’ a quick peck on the lips, and said: "Love you. Come straight home from work, sweet cheeks."
Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) revealed it had received 202 objections to the advertisement in the week it ran.
Viewers told the ASA they believed the ad was "offensive", "inappropriate" and "unsuitable to be seen by children".
However, Summerskill said he believed the complaints were part of an organised campaign.
“I think people are a surprised they have responded so swiftly to what appears, on the face of it, to be organised complaints, a campaign by people who are determined to be outraged whenever there is any reference to homosexuality, however light hearted," Summerskill said.
He said Stonewall’s own billboard advertisements which featured the slogan, “Some people are gay, get over it”, had attracted a similar campaign of complaint.
Heinz UK spokesperson Nigel Dickie said the concept behind the ad was that the product was akin to having your own New York delicatessen at home.
He said company had decided to withdraw the ad after just one week of its scheduled five week run because of "consumer feedback".
"It is our policy to listen to consumers. Heinz is a global company and we respect all universal rights. The advertisement was intended to be humorous, not designed to cause offence to anyone. Clearly it failed in its intent to amuse and that is why we took the decision to withdraw it," Dickie said.
There was at least one complainant from the US, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, who told viewers: "I just want mayonnaise, I don't want guys kissing."
Stonewall’s Ben Summerskill said the advertisement was never broadcast during children’s programming hours because of a ban on commercials for products that are high in fat and sugar.
“The biggest irony of all is, by responding to claims it damages children, Heinz has drawn attention that it is actually not allowed to be shown around children's programs because it is so unhealthy."
See the ad here:
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