A corporate nod to Black History Month certainly hasn’t kept Heinz free from scrutiny over the past couple of weeks.
Not only was the firm forced to release a public apology for its wedding-themed advert after being accused of perpetuating negative racist stereotypes, it has now had to pull its recent Halloween-themed advert altogether, amid further accusations of racist overtones.
The ‘It Ha Ha has to be Heinz’ campaign was initially launched as a Halloween-themed nod to the Joker film. Each of the three actors shown enjoying chips, burgers or hot dogs had their lips lined with ketchup, representing the Joker’s iconic smile.
Focusing on the ad which starred a Black actor, critics of the campaign said it had blackface connotations and was reminiscent of minstrel shows.
Speaking to PRWeek, Kraft Heinz said: “Although it was intended to resonate with a current pop-culture moment, we recognise that this does not the hurt it may have caused. We will do better. We are working to remove the advertisement immediately.”
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What made the furore worse (and perhaps meant all eyes were on Heinz) was the fact that it came so quickly after the wedding-themed blunder.
Created by VML, the advert displayed at Vauxhall and Manor House tube stations showed a newly-married couple, with the white groom’s parents both present while only the black bride’s mother had joined the group.
Writing in The Guardian author and broadcaster Nells Abbey described how although many wouldn’t have noticed it plays into the damaging and racist stereotypes around Black fathers. Ultimately, he questioned, why not just show a Black family?.
Hai by RWS head of marketing Krissie Petfield added: “To succeed in a diverse world – brands must do more than just create – they must understand, respect and reflect the cultural complexities of the audiences they aim to reach. Anything less, risks not just a failed campaign or a fractured reputation, but ultimately shows a lack of respect for others.”
“The incident with the Halloween ad highlights a critical lesson for marketers: visuals are not neutral; they carry significant cultural meanings. What may seem playful or harmless in one context can easily evoke harmful stereotypes in another.”
Commenting on the ‘Smiles’ campaign Oliver UK chief strategy officer Nick Myers said that simply putting the Heinz ad through his agency’s AI Sandbox deduced that “it bears resemblance to historical racist caricatures, particularly ‘blackface’ imagery. This is a major concern.”
“I am not saying a Gen AI tool can replace a real semiotician or that it replaces a diverse team (creating, reviewing, and buying the work), but it can help by acting as an early warning sign.”
Ultimately for an industry which prides itself on being in touch with culture and creativity, the key message is that there is no excuse for failing to listen, understand and respond. Whether its hiring diverse talent, involving and listening to the diverse talent you do have, or just doing the research – there is no excuse.
When culture is your bread and butter (or, more accurately, your beans on toast) surely Heinz has both time to gather the resource and the nous to gauge when a campaign is going to fail to land…
