Heinz’s latest PR disaster over “racist” ads is indicative of a lack of diversity within its creative team, according to marketing experts.
The fmcg giant has received backlash over recent weeks for perpetuating racist stereotypes and imagery in two of its ads.
The first ad to cause offence was an out-of-home push for its new ‘family-sized’ pasta sauces. It depicted a black bride and white groom tucking into bowls of pasta, while seated alongside the bride’s single mother and both the groom’s parents.
After it was displayed in London’s Vauxhall and Manor House Underground stations earlier this month, members of the public soon took to social media site X to complain that it played into a stereotype about absent black fathers.
Author Nels Abbey posted an image of the ad taken at Vauxhall to X, writing: “believe it or not, Black girls have Dads too”.
“For my brothers with daughters”
— Nels Abbey (@nelsabbey) October 4, 2024
Because, believe it or not, Black girls have Dads too. pic.twitter.com/LngrCCZ4rW
The post quickly sparked a debate online, with one consumer replying: “Total erasure of Black fathers by such a mainstream brand is shocking. How did this get approved?”
While many commentators accused Heinz of perpetuating a harmful message, others defended the brand, with one posting: “I seriously doubt there is anything sinister in it.”
After Abbey’s post gained traction, Heinz issued an apology via the Independent.
“We always appreciate members of the public’s perspective on our campaigns. We understand how this ad could have unintentionally perpetuated negative stereotypes.
“We extend our deepest apologies and will continue to listen, learn and improve to avoid this happening again in the future.”
However, Heinz was embroiled in a fresh scandal just days later, when an ad from its ‘Smiles’ campaign for Halloween was likened to “blackface”.
The ad in question depicted a black person with ketchup smeared around their lips, along with the caption “It ha ha has to be Heinz”.
The campaign by Gut New York was intended to capitalise on the hype surrounding the new Joker film, Folie à Deux.
However, commentators pointed out the ad’s visual similarity to old minstrel ads of the 19th century, depicting white men in blackface, painted with large red lips.
In a LinkedIn post criticising the campaign, Annex 88 chief creative officer Andre Gray wrote: “How are we still lacking the diverse teams and cultural competency to have the semiotics of our imagery properly scrutinized BEFORE it gets out in the world?
“From agency, to client, to production, to media…. no one said, maybe we should move this away from minstrel show and Blackface connotations?????”
Trevor Robinson, founder & executive creative director of London advertising agency Quiet Storm, told The Grocer: “Brands and agencies need to be incredibly sensitive when it comes to using race in a campaign.
“When I look at these two ads, I immediately question whether the right people have been involved from the concept stage.
“It’s clear that diversity was lacking in the room where it mattered, from casting onwards, because there doesn’t seem to have been any sense-checking.”
Furthermore, Robinson said he was “curious about why a black model has been used” in the ‘Smiles’ campaign “because the tomato sauce doesn’t contrast with his skin tone”.
“Given that the two other executions use white models, it smacks of a social politically motivated decision made for the wrong reasons and without considering the full extent of the consequences.”
Speaking on the pasta sauce push, meanwhile, Joan Creative MD Tom Ghiden said: “While I’m sure this wasn’t done as a reflection of black stereotypes of fatherhood, I’m just as sure that there was likely no one at any stage of the creative process who understood or could speak to this stereotype – and there the problem lies.
“This is a perfect example of the fundamental importance of fmcg marketing teams and their creative agencies being made up of a diversity of thought and experiences.
“Having people from different backgrounds means they have different perspectives – an opportunity for checks and balances and allows us to better police decisions in an environment where everyone’s voice is heard.”
The Grocer has approached Heinz for comment.
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