Heinz Ad Cleared By Broadcasting Authority

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have decided there is no case to be answered by the Heinz Ad for New York Deli Mayo.

In a statement they said:

"The ASA council considered that while some viewers may have personal objections to any portrayal of same sex kissing there was nothing in the content of the advertisement what would constitute a breach of the advertising code."

Answering also answered the query about parents concerns that had to explain homosexuality to children. Something that was less likely as the ad under High Fat, Sugar and Salt (HFSS)Restrictions was deemed ex-kids and therefore not to be shown during children's broadcasting, the ASA said:

"Even if the ad had not been subject to HFSS restrictions, the ASA would still not have investigated it."

People may have any number of personal objections to anything that is on TV. It may be the quality of the programming, the content or any manner of things. However, to invent lies and conditions to try and raise you own personal objections to something that society accepts is wrong, indeed in the UK it can come under hate crimes legislation. If you still object you can always reach for the remote control that probably isn't too far away and switch or turn off, or watch commercial free TV; good old BBC.

Now the big question is what are Heinz going to do about it? They've been apologising for the ad yet there appears to be nothing to apologise for. They have yet to apologise to those who have been offended by their apparent sanctioning of homophobic and anti-gay propoganda spread by the American Family Association. The AFA can only accept if everyone is exactly like them, sound very much like a supremicist movement to me, and very much like the advent of Nazism, if they cannot abide and live beside others of contrasting views.

Sadly this group have a powerful voice over the party that currently conrtols the most powerful elected office in the world. A scarey and sobering thought in this US election year 2008. Here's hoping Barak Obama does win in November and refuses to power to their prejudices.

Heinz Failure to Listen (Or Maybe Just Read)

H.J. Heinz when they initially pulled the New York Deli mayo ad said they listened to their consumers. Well it looks like they can't read then.

Yes the first of the long awaited responses to the fact that they pulled the ad in light of 200 or so complaints from people not valuing the rights of all (another alleged Heinz promise). Yeah Tim Trent got a response which is exactly what Michael Mullen said over here that they "accept that this ad was not in accordance with our long-standing corporate policy of respecting everyone's rights and values."

Now there is much quoted proverb you can please all of the people some or time and some of the people all of the time. Therefore it would appear that Heinz's long-standing corporate policy of respecting everyone's rights and values, no matter how bigoted or how outlawed those values may be.

Still a soup of shame hanging over Heinz. The egg mayo is still very much over their faces with this whole debacle.

Ten Thousand Sign Heinz Petition

I've been watching for a while as the petition to Heinz to reinstate their ad has ticked closer to the momentous threshold of it's ten thousandth signature. Well at High Noon UK time, after all this is a UK ad, on the 28th June it was only 12 signature short of that number. It's only taken 15 minutes more to get to 10,000.

Considering that Heinz initially said when removing their ad that they listen to their customers can I ask are they listening now? So basing what they say are 202 or 10,000 people going to be listened to? It has already been over 57 hours since I sent emails and posted complaints to Heinz UK. Mr Nigel Dickie, who yesterday along with other execs at Heinz removed their personal contact details from Heinz's website, not Mr Michael Mullen have not even had the decency to get somebody within the organisation acknowledge my emails and complaints. As someone who works in a call centre environment I know that even a simple acknowledgement at a time like this is easily achievable. After all those of us who have written in are largely aware that a lot of others are doing so as well. 57 hours however is a little bit long to get yourself into motion.

Heinz on their website list their Premier Values. How do they score this week.

Passion . . . to be passionate about winning and about our brands, products and people, thereby delivering superior value to our shareholders.

Heinz produced an ad that was innovative, with layered very dry British humour. They also were launching a new range linking it with the New York Deli's it was named after. However, when the American Family Association issued an alert their passion wavered. (Notice one lie the fact that the vote on civil partnership in California is stated as not being legal in England [the UK])Despite the spontaneous nature of the counter debate and individual comments and letters many posted on various forums no passion to restore the ad is forthcoming.

3/10 for trying then backtracking than failing to acknowledge a mistake.

Risk Tolerance . . . to create a culture where entrepreneurship and prudent risk taking are encouraged and rewarded.

A prudent risk was taken with the ad, it was shown in a more tolerant society than the USA. Sadly the actions of reactionaries in another country is attacking the liberties of a sovereign state. Watch out UK we'll soon be on some axis of evil and be invaded by our ally if this keep up. A risk was taken, but it hasn't been rewarded what off the person who commissioned the ad, they have since been slammed from on high that the ad is "not in accordance with Corporate Policy". How is that going to encourage whatever members of Heinz staff gauged that risk and took the ad campaign on board?

1/10 First sign that the risk failed they backtracked ignoring any counter risk.

Excellence . . . to be the best in quality and in everything we do.

Whoops. I think the above says it all first they said they listened to their consumers but haven't seemed to listen to one side of the argument.

5/10 This 5 is purely for the ad itself.

Motivation . . . to celebrate success, recognizing and rewarding the achievements of individuals and teams.

Oops again Nigel Dickie's original comments to his UK market have since been overruled and overridden from the corporate chiefs. The advertising team must be feeling small if still employed and not currently on gardening leave. Motivation has been given to their consumers however, to protest, blog, boycott and complain, not an ideal business model.

2/10

Innovation . . . to innovate in everything, from products to processes.

Product I have not tasted yet was going to try some this week but as I'm boycotting no idea. Advert again good product. Processes lousy no response, hiding away hoping the storm will pass, no signs yet, pulled an ad before investigation which in all likelihood if any action is taken will result in protests of about 50% of current ads on UK TV as a result of far more graphic depictions/implying of actual sexual activity.

4/10 All points awarded to product not process.

Empowerment . . . to empower our talented people to take the initiative and to do what's right.

They took an initiative have since been told that was wrong.

0/10 Can't promise one and fail to deliver on the other.

Respect . . . to act with integrity and respect towards all.

TOWARDS ALL Heinz!!! Now respectfully explaining the concept of the ad to the AFA should have been enough. However, it is a long held theory that ironic humour is often lost on the Americans, no offence to any and I know some who do get it. No same sex parenting couple that I, and many comments from others on messages boards I've read, know of exists where there is a not either two mums or two dads, or the non-biological partner is merely known by their name. Therefore there is no gay kiss. The peck is far less sexual than a kiss going on in a UK ad for Heinz Salad Cream, which also contains nudity and forced removal or anther's clothing. So why is one ok by corporate policy and the other not Heinz?

-10/10 Two facedness, taking backwards steps over equality.

Nick Clegg Joins Calls for Heinz to Reinstate Ad

The Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has joined the growing number of concerned citizens in the UK and beyond resulting from Heinz's pulling of their New York Deli Mayo advertisement.

On the Lib Dem website from the letter he has sent to the company he has said:

"The depiction of a same-sex kiss in this advert was innocent both in tone and content, and I am shocked that you decided to withdraw it.

"While I understand that some people in Britain today are uncomfortable with same-sex relationships, such prejudice should not be condoned by an organisation of your size and stature."

He's has joined the growing number of people asking Heinz to "reverse this decision and reinstate the advert".

Heinz Early Day Motion

Diane Abbott has lodged this Early Day Motion regarding the Heinz Deli Mayo Ad's removal on the back of 202 non-justifiable complaints:

That this House notes that the manufacturer Heinz has withdrawn its television advertisement, which features two men kissing, on the basis of 200 complaints that it might be embarrassing for parents with children to watch; further notes that millions of children watch depictions of same-sex relationships in soap operas every day; further notes that the advertisement was not intended to be a realistic depiction of a same-sex relationship, and that the advertisement was intended to be humorous; believes that Heinz's decision was ill-considered and likely to offend millions of gay, lesbian and transgender people; and calls on Heinz to reconsider its decision.

Ironically it is EDM 1889 which is when such a reaction would have been expected rather than 2008. So far 9 other Labour MPs have signed it, Diane Abbott, Chris Bryant, Alan Simpson, Ian Gibson, Jeremy Corbyn, Karen Buck, Greg Pope, Kelvin Hopkins, Eric Illsey and Lynne Jones.

I have written to Michael Connarty urging him to do the same. If you live in the UK please write to your MP and encourage them to do likewise following this clicky link if you're not sure how.

Update: Sadly the Parliament site is not updating the signatories regularly enough to check the current level of Parliamentary support however Lynne Featherstone has blogged that she has since signed it. Nick Clegg has also written to Heinz on this issue.

Updated to 4 July: More names added to Government website total now 22 with Paul Holmes, Mike Hancock, Stephen Williams, Mark Oaten (Lib Dem), Glenda Jackson, Chris McCafferty, John McDonnell, Martin Caton, Jim Devine, Rudi Vis, Linda Riordan, Harry Cohen (Labour).

Second EDM 1913: It appears Lynne Featherstone contrary to the above has submitted her own EDM:

That this House regrets Heinz's decision to withdraw its television advert featuring two men kissing because of homophobic complaints and considers the scenes portrayed were in no way offensive or indecent; believes footage displaying affection between two people of the same sex should be treated in the same way as two people of the opposite sex; and calls for the company to resume its advertising campaign as planned.

Signed as of 4th July by 15 other MPs:

Lynne Jones, Jim Devine, Glenda Jackson, John McDonnell, Alan Simpson, Jeremy Corbyn, Paul Flynn, Rudi Vis, Kelvin Hopkins, Harry Cohen and Bill Etherington (Labour)

Mike Hancock, Adrian Sanders, Paul Holmes and Stephen Williams (Liberal Deomocrats)

The sad absence of any Tory, Nationalist of Northern Irish member from either EDM is starkly disappointing inditment against those parties.

What the Heinz?

Well yesterday's tale of mayo and the juxtaposed image of a male deli guy in place of the mum of the household has taken a rather sinister twist.

Yesterday the Director of UK Corporate and Government Affairs, Nigel
Dickie had been telling us the as was pulled because complaints to the Advertising Standards Agency and Heinz themselves had been about "offensive", "inappropriate" content in the ad and that many of the 202 complainants thought the ad was "unsuitable to be seen by children". He's even gone further to say that some of those parents had, bless their hearts, had to explain to their kids that homosexuals existed.

However, there was uproar from those of us who got the joke, both gay and straight. I mean no gay family would have a mum and a dad either two mums or two dads. The person making the sandwiches was referred to a mum, therefore the fact that they spoke with a New York accent so out of keeping with the family was a play on the product. The 'kiss' was an innocent, indeed almost obligatory, peck before heading to work, one was wondering how that could be seen as offensive or inappropriate when you considered the content of the programmes it was being shown against.

However, as I pointed out the story has gone global. Twice this blog has been visited from somebody at H.J. Heinz corporate offices in Pennsylvania. The Director of Global Corporate Affairs, Michael Mullen has issued a press release here. He has probably put his foot even further into it by saying:

"Heinz pulled the ad in the UK because our consumer research showed that it failed in its attempt to be humorous and offended people on all sides.

"Heinz apologizes for its misplaced attempt at humor and we accept that this ad was not in accordance with our long-standing corporate policy of respecting everyone's rights and values."

I have sent an email to Mr Mullen rejecting his apology as there is nothing in the ad which he needs to apologise to me about. There is however other issues I would like to see him apologise about and if you want to do the same his email address is Michael.mullen@us.hjheinz.com

BTW the facebook group currently has 1823 people going to boycott the company's products and the petition to reinstate the ad now has 5288 signatures.

UPDATE 10:15
Interesting opinion piece on the blog of what appears to the PR company, Seventy Seven PR, owned by the Ad's producers AMV BBDO. These are the personal views of James Gordon MacIntosh not those of the agency Seventy Seven or AMV BBDO as he so kindly points out below.