Uber Eats Backtracks After Controversial Super Bowl Ad
Uber Eats recently faced criticism and removed a segment from its Super Bowl ad that had made fun of people with peanut allergies. The backlash erupted on social media as users argued that the ad was insensitive and disrespectful towards the millions of individuals who suffer from this life-threatening allergy.
The Controversial Commercial
The minute-long commercial featured popular figures such as Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, David Beckham, his wife Victoria, rapper Jelly Roll, and Usher, who is set to perform during halftime. The ad revolves around the theme of forgetfulness, and one scene showed a man eating from a jar of peanut butter before realizing, “There’s peanuts in peanut butter? Oh, it’s the primary ingredient.”
Immediate Backlash
Upon the ad’s debut, social media users expressed their disappointment, claiming that Uber Eats should not make light of life-threatening allergies. The non-profit organization Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) tweeted, “We’re incredibly disappointed by @UberEats’ use of life-threatening food allergies as humor in its Super Bowl ad. The suffering of 33M+ Americans with this condition is no joke. Life-threatening food allergy an illness, not a diet.”
Addressing the Issue
After conversations between Uber and Dr. Sung Poblete, FARE’s CEO, the ride-sharing company decided to make edits to the ad that would be shown to the broader Super Bowl audience. Uber removed the reference to peanut allergies from the commercial to avoid offending individuals dealing with this condition.
User Reactions
While Uber made some modifications, the original ad can still be found on YouTube under an unlisted link. However, this version includes a pseudo-disclaimer, stating, “Please please please do not forget there are peanuts in peanut butter.”
Though the changes were an attempt to rectify the issue, some users felt it was not enough. One user mentioned in a now-deleted post, “You had a really great commercial till the peanut allergy guy,” indicating disappointment. Another user expressed concerns saying, “Food allergies aren’t funny, and they’re definitely not forgettable. When you joke about allergies you teach the public it’s okay to not take them seriously, and that can have deadly consequences.”
Conclusion
Uber Eats faced significant criticism after parts of its Super Bowl commercial mocked peanut allergies. With the ad generating a wave of public dissatisfaction, the company eventually chose to remove the offensive segment. However, despite this action, some individuals still believe more needs to be done to properly address the seriousness of life-threatening food allergies.
