So Heinz have pulled their Salad Cream ad featuring two guys kissing after 200 complaints that it might be unsuitable for children etc etc (whining drone of Daily Mail readers wishing away their pointless lives).Stonewall, the gay right group (who did a great ad recently also) have now asked people to boycott Heinz for giving in to the whining brainless misinformed wankers.
I understand both for taking the actions they have, but really the problem is much deeper than that.
Surely even Daily Mail readers wouldn't now (explicity) complain about black people kissing, nor would most complain about two women kissing. There seems to be a subset of equality that says "except for gay men", as if squeamishness is a suitable excuse for homophobia.
I mean really, is this ad THAT offensive? It's sweet and funny, and portrays a nice message about the tolerance and acceptance of kids that those sad whinging people could learn from.
Well done Heinz for letting it through in the first place, as for what happens now, I suggest we burn down the Daily Mail offices. Thats a far more suitable solution than cancelling it or boycotting Heinz.
12 comments:
Just when you think the UK is limbering up, progressing, evolving...daily mail readers spot our hope and, knuckles dragging, comb-over straining against the breeze of change, smear a turd all over it.
Heinz did good. Then sold out. What a shame.
Its a good example of a brand/company dressing itself up as something it is not, and then being exposed for it.
Perhaps the Marketing Department are culturally quite different to the Corporate Management making the bigger PR decisions?
Maybe Marketing is trying to blaze a trail in a deeply conservative corporate environment. When push comes to shove the traditional, reactionary management show their hand by taking the gutless wayout?
This is the old skool brand building approach in action. I.e. to use advertising in order to create the appearance/illusion of being cooler than you actually are.
It's a reminder that your communications have to connect with the realities of who you are as a business, otherwise you get found out. Perhaps in future Heinz ahould stick to a more traditional/conservative vision of modern family life....Shame.
Brain's doesn't have a lot to say. Why? Firstly, he's still angry over the mess Glascow Rangers left Manchester city (and by the way I did see some of them kissing whilst we're on this topic) and secondly; Brains completely agrees with everyone (esp Rob) except the 202 people that complained!
Two men kissed on the lips for a second? Big deal? A New York chef was called mum? Bigger deal?
I think it comes down to one thing and one thing alone in this cold and grey world; beyond advertising and Heinz...Minority groups look for ANY excuse to get their voice heard! ANY!
And that's the bottom line because Brains said so!
Dobbie - It is a shame, but with so many products selling to so many consumers I can understand why a manager who had no input on the ad (as the mac says) would want it pulled. Its also a great way to get maximum exposure for minimum spend as now everyone is watching it online.
The Mac - I hope the term dressing was meant with comedy relevance..!
I hope Heinz don't go back into a conservative shell, it takes statements like these (however contrived some of them might be) to break the chain of moaners tossers.
So The Mac, back once again? Top of the world? Oh my god...
Brains - I agree, but sadly these people are a big minority. 200 people complained, I bet thousands were really offended by it, and that's really sad.
Rob, it's absolute balderdash to consider this anything less than a yellow sprint of retreat. Heinz are complete turncoats...to spend any time whatsoever considering this as a clever publicity stunt lends it credence beyond its worth.
And, do you really think that their target market is watching it online?
Doobie - It is, but I doubt the people who pulled it are the same people who approved it. I get the feeling that the marketing department has been overuled by the more conservative forces at the top.
No I don't, I was using it as an example of how such an idea would work.
I agree with you Rob. I'm sire the decision to pull (so to speak), came from above.
What is, instead of turning their backs and running, Heinz came-out (again, so to speak) fighting.
How about they do a raunchy version. Tongues. Sailors...or is this all bollox and am I now in the land of farce. Yes. Yes I am.
Heinz turned! And even if 'higher-up' people chose to withdraw the ad and were NOT involved with the initial approving...the responsibility still lies with them that it was approved!
SO Brains says this and this once...The boardroom at Heinz should have stood by their decision and/or with the poople who physically made the decision!
A big minority? Yet still a minority so not sure what you're saying. KFC's ad with singing women with mouth's full of food got 1600 complaints...did KFC take it off? I'll give you a clue; it begins with 'n' and ends in 'o'.
It's all very pathetic and Heinz now looks even worse for as Dobbie say's 'Turncoating'!
Brains believes the scores on the doors are....
Dobbie 1 - Rob Mortimer 0
Sorry about all the shoddy typing above.
I know I mockingly said Heinz should have come out fighting, but, seriously now, what if they had? Have Heinz missed an opportunity to really change? To take a stance. To use something that is generally sneered at and dismissed as merely fluff - advertising - for a vehicle of corporate, and even social, change.
And Rob, I noticed the Doobie reference. Play nice.
Scores?
I agree with Scooby!
The boardroom should have stuck with it, but I understand why they didn't. After all, these are more than likely rich conservative people who don't understand their consumers or the modern world.
The people at marketing level made a good decision, but its been ruined by management... as shaggy says, the publicity for sticking with it would have been so much better and improved their image so much more.
Exactly mr boombastic, the gains from decent folk would far outweigh the loss of a bunch of hypocritical homophobes.
And even if the loss of those wankers was bigger, it would certainly generate more loyalty from us for sticking to their guns and (as we say) having a point of view.
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