Heinz Apologizes For Perpetuating Black Family Stereotypes In Ad
Photo 175637881 © David Tonelson | Dreamstime.com
Heinz finds itself in hot water after the release of an advertisement that has left a bad taste in many mouths for supposedly reinforcing negative stereotypes about Black families.
The out-of-home campaign, displayed at several London tube stations, featured a Black family gathered for a wedding. While the image showed a beaming bride, her mother, and the groom’s parents, one crucial figure was noticeably absent—the bride’s father. This omission quickly caught the eye of commuters and social media users, who called out Heinz for perpetuating a harmful narrative.
Among those vocal about their disdain was author Nels Abbey, who took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to highlight how the message might be damaging. “For my brothers with daughters,” Abbey wrote, pointing out the print’s failure to represent Black fathers in a post gone viral.
"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
Others brought up the work’s “total erasure” of Black dads.
Total erasure of Black fathers by such a mainstream brand is shocking. How did this get approved?
— Balqees (@HornChronicles) October 4, 2024
Heinz was prompt in acknowledging the misstep, with a spokesperson telling the Independent, “We understand how this ad could have unintentionally perpetuated negative stereotypes.” They added that the company offers its “deepest apologies” and that it will pay attention to customers to ensure such instances don’t happen again.
[via The Guardian and The Independent, images via various sources]
