Gay Heinz Ad

A British advertisement for Heinz Deli Mayonnaise, in which two men are shown kissing, has been pulled after more than 200 complaints to the UK's Advertising Standards Authority. Gay organizations have threatened to boycott Heinz for pulling the advertisement.

A young boy comes down to a kitchen and refers to the person in it as "mum". When "mum" turns around, it is revealed that it is a Robert DeNiro-esque New York City-accented man in a deli uniform. The deli man preps sandwiches for the boy and his sister, who continue to refer to the deli man as "mum". The father comes down the stairs and says, "See you tonight, love." The deli man says, "Ain't you forgettin' somethin'?" The father briefly kisses the deli man on the lips.

Complaints said the advertisement was offensive and inappropriate for children. Dissenters argue that, since the ad was not allowed to be shown during children's viewing hours (mayonnaise is considered too unhealthy to advertise to children), the complaint about children is not valid. They also argue that the advertisement was not showing a gay couple - it was showing that the product, "Heinz Deli Mayonnaise", was so authentically flavored that it would make "mum" seem like an authentic deli worker.

• The Guardian: Zoe Williams: Outraged, but lazy (June 25, 2008)