Heinz apologises as Black family advert sparks outrage
The Independent|October 07, 2024
Heinz has issued an apology after it came under fire for an advertisement currently on display in Tube stations across London.
ANNABEL NUGENT
Heinz apologises as Black family advert sparks outrage

The food company, known for its ketchup, mayonnaise and baked beans, recently launched an ad campaign for its new family-sized pasta sauces. In one controversial advertisement that has been seen in Tube stations including Vauxhall and Manor House, a family is seen in a wedding scenario.

The poster shows the bride, a Black woman, smiling as she scoops up a forkful of pasta next to a man who is presumably the groom. On her right is an older man and woman, who appear to be the groom’s parents, and on her left is an older Black woman who is supposedly meant to be her mother.

People, however, took issue with the fact that the bride’s father is not pictured, with many suggesting that the ad perpetuates negative stereotypes about Black fathers. In a post that has gone viral on Twitter/X, one person shared a photo of the ad in Vauxhall Tube station, alongside the caption: “For my brothers with daughters. Because, believe it or not, Black girls have dads too.”

This story is from the October 07, 2024 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 07, 2024 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE INDEPENDENTView All
Why fans will shrug at loss of Man Utd's brightest star
The Independent

Why fans will shrug at loss of Man Utd's brightest star

A couple of years ago, if the news had broken that Marcus Rashford wished to leave Manchester United and seek his future elsewhere, the effect on the club's fans would have been dramatic.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Will Usyk or Fury 'get old overnight' in their rematch?
The Independent

Will Usyk or Fury 'get old overnight' in their rematch?

In boxing we have an expression we use during a fight, if one of the boxers looks bad: \"He got old overnight.\"

time-read
3 mins  |
December 21, 2024
O'Shea is loving the battles at the Republic of Ipswich
The Independent

O'Shea is loving the battles at the Republic of Ipswich

As a player who was clocked as the fourth fastest in the Premier League last season, Dara O'Shea relishes it \"when I'm up against a striker and it's me and him\".

time-read
6 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Sliding doors moment that saw Spurs embrace chaos
The Independent

Sliding doors moment that saw Spurs embrace chaos

Tottenham fans will wonder what could have been tomorrow as Arne Slot brings league leaders Liverpool to north London

time-read
3 mins  |
December 21, 2024
HS2 doesn't need a 'reset'...this line never made sense
The Independent

HS2 doesn't need a 'reset'...this line never made sense

Nobody knows how much it will cost or when it will be done. With our creaking transport system, the mounting billions would be better spent elsewhere, says Chris Blackhurst

time-read
5 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Hope for economic growth dampened by uncertainty
The Independent

Hope for economic growth dampened by uncertainty

Fun fact: the OECD still predicts that Britain's economy will be one of the stars of the G7 during 2025 with growth of 1.7 per cent, lagging only behind the US at 2.4 per cent.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Trump's war on the press is straight from Putin playbook
The Independent

Trump's war on the press is straight from Putin playbook

The pen may not be mightier than the sword, but it still has the power to wound. How else to explain the extraordinary remarks of the former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, this week in which he revealed how stung he'd been by an editorial in The Times?

time-read
4 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Musk calls far-right AfD party saviours of Germany
The Independent

Musk calls far-right AfD party saviours of Germany

Elon Musk has described the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as the country's saviour, sparking calls from Berlin for the US billionaire to \"stay out\" of their politics.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Macron swears in heated exchanges with crowds in cyclone-battered Mayotte
The Independent

Macron swears in heated exchanges with crowds in cyclone-battered Mayotte

French president Emmanuel Macron swore during an exchange as he was heckled by angry residents of a Mayotte neighbourhood ravaged by cyclone Chido, telling them: “If it wasn’t for France, you’d be 10,000 times deeper in shit.”

time-read
3 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Store guard helped uncover abuse of Pelicot by husband
The Independent

Store guard helped uncover abuse of Pelicot by husband

When Gisèle Pelicot was called to talk to police in November 2020, she believed it was to discuss upskirting allegations made against her husband of 50 years.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 21, 2024