Heinz apologizes for yet another campaign deemed 'racist,' second time in a week

[Coloroscopio]

Heinz has found itself in another sticky situation, and it’s not because of its tomato sauce. The brand has taken down its Halloween advertising campaign, which has been perceived as evoking racist imagery.

 

Meant as a wink to the Joker sequel, the project showcased people with ketchup smeared across their mouths. One visual depicting a Black man, however, reminded viewers of offensive blackface and minstrel shows, leading to widespread outrage.

 

The ad, launched across several European countries including the UK, France, and Germany, was supposed to be playful with its tagline “it ha ha has to be Heinz.” Instead, it struck a deeply negative chord, especially following Black History Month and coming hot on the heels of another Heinz marketing misstep in the London tube that many felt harmfully stereotyped and erased Black fathers, leading to an apology earlier this week.

 

Following the public outcry, Heinz quickly removed the Halloween ad and issued a separate apology for the subsequent campaign, acknowledging the hurt caused. In its statement to PR Week, it admitted the message’s failure to be culturally sensitive and expressed its commitment to improving its future marketing.

 

• https://www.prweek.com/article/1891605/heinz-pull-campaign-fresh-racism-accusations 
• https://www.marketing-beat.co.uk/2024/10/10/heinz-ad-controversy/ 
• https://www.boredpanda.com/heinz-apologizes-for-two-racially-insensitive-ads-in-the-same-week/ 
• https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/heinz-backlash-ad-black-family-b2624567.html 

 

Image: GUT