We’re lucky to still have ten fingers and two hands after watching this.
If you’ve seen 2012’s Pitch Perfect (if you haven’t you simply must – it’s a delight from start to finish), you’ll be aware of the very popular – and highly impressive – ‘audition’ scene in which Anna Kendrick’s character sings ‘When I’m Gone’, accompanied by the percussion of a plastic cup…
Perhaps using this as inspiration, Heinz Baked Beans created this infectious ditty for their latest advertising campaign. As far as ads go, it’s pretty good. Nice, catchy and inoffensive in every way…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK9p7DZcEqk
The Advertising Standards Authority disagreed, it seems. A whole NINE people complained to the watchdog, because it could “encourage unsafe practice” and features “behaviour that could be dangerous for children to copy”.
Maddeningly, the ASA upheld the complaints, ruling that the ad could lead to kids accidentally cutting their hands or fingers, because “it is unlikely that consumers would be as proficient as the actors at flipping and twirling the cans around.”
They go on:
“We told Heinz to ensure that future ads did not condone or encourage behaviour that prejudiced health and safety, including behaviour that could be dangerous for children to emulate, for example by featuring open tin cans being used to play music.”
The authority have ordered Heinz not to broadcast the advert again in its current form. For our part, we’re sorry that we’ve subjected you to it again and we implore you to not try this sort of thing at home. It could lead to your last ever can flip.
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