From: Uganda's Pied Piper
Re: Uganda's Pied piper: I hate to bring this up, but the question over lack of awareness/involvement on the part of American public may require self-examination…
From: Red, White & Harry
Bring on your bad self! If some foraign automaker thinks they can make hay out of detroit, just let'em try We can hang with the best, our automakers…
From: The Poison Apple
Unfortunately, depends on your p.o.v. I don' t have the disposable income to indulge myself in every fad that comes along, ergo, I am a "late joiner"…
From national news to round table conversations; for years the controversy surrounding same sex couples has been heated. Heinz products are benign by most standards…no controversy there. But some people found the new Deli Mayo TV ad to be inappropriate for children.
Heinz had a Deli Mayo TV ad that featured two men sharing a kiss. Now some may say that there is nothing wrong with two men kissing. Well, for most people it’s not what you see every day. Not only did the two men share a kiss but they appeared to be a couple…and the parents of school-age children. Take a minute and allow your mind to follow me while I paint a picture of this commercial.
Little boy rushes into the kitchen carrying his book bag. He goes up to the kitchen counter where a man is standing there preparing food. The boy says “May I have a sandwich please mom,” referring to the man as his mom. The man gives the boy a sandwich and the boy rushes off out the door. Next a little girl steps up and says “What about me?” the man gives her a sandwich and she says, “Thanks mom” and rushes out the door. Finally a man rushes into the kitchen and heads toward the door. The other guy preparing the food yells to him, “Aren’t you forgetting something”? The guy looks back and goes over to the bar and kisses him on the lips. "I love you and come straight home from work sweet cheeks”.
This commercial received many complaints. Some people stated that the ad was "unsuitable to be seen by children" and that it raised the difficult problem of parents having to discuss the issue of same-sex relationships with younger viewers. Heinz said that the commercial was meant to be humorous but ended up withdrawing the commercial within two weeks and apologizing to viewers.
Check out the ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLNPdZPSII0
What are your thoughts regarding the use of same sex marriages in marketing?
Graphic Credit:
Sabrina Segal
1. Lefleri |Sep. 9, 2010 @ 6:14 PM
The commercial was supposed to be about marketing the new deli flavors and the "mom" was acting in the spirit of the typical brutish deli service you'd see in New York. I did like the way he talked and said "Aren't ya forgettin' somethin'?!?" which cracked a smile.
Assuming Heinz meant the commercial to focus on the deli-man and the new deli flavors (in relation to their comment of the commercial being humorous), everyone who complained about the commercial couldn't help but focus on the mom-dad and same-sex marriage. If the "dad" was actually a women, or the "mom" vice-versa, no one would be saying anything and actually be on the same page as Heinz.
I personally don't think there's anything wrong with displaying same-sex marriages in advertising, whereas someone with different values, whether it's rooted in religion or personal belief, would say otherwise. The overall problem is it's still a touchy issue in society, especially with all the politics involved in Proposition 8 and states allowing/banning same-sex marriages. Heinz should have seen this kind of response coming. I think it's great Heinz was taking the first steps to show homosexuality in marketing, but I don't think society is ready yet, especially if parents still haven't figured out ways to teach their children about non-traditional marriage, homosexuality and etc.
I'm not a parent yet, so who am I to say it shouldn't be complicated educating your children about this. But when will society ever be ready?