sweet cheeks
by Douglas Messerli
AMV BBDO Agency (director) “Mum” in the
Kitchen / 2008 [30 seconds] [commercial advertisement]
A man dressed like a deli counterman, white hat, shirt an apron, stands
behind a kitchen counter making sandwiches. A young boy runs into the room, on
his way to school, demanding “107 please, Mum.” The man puts a sandwich into
the child’s lunch box, responding “Yeah, you got it, kid. And practice tonight,”
as the boy runs off.
His
female sibling enters, crying out “Hey, what about me?”
He has a sandwich already made, it just
needs an extra bit of ham, which puts on top, adding as he hands over the
sandwich, “Don’t tell your brother.”
Enter Dad, also in a rush, grabbing up yet another sandwich, adding “See
you, love.”
“Mum” calls out, “Hey, ain’t you forgetting something?”
Only then does Heinz reveal 4 bottles of their various Deli Mayo
toppings.
According to The Guardian the add immediately received about 200
complaints from the advertising regular of its being offensive and
inappropriate. Some of the complaints added that complaints include that the ad
was "unsuitable to be seen by children" and that it raised the
difficult problem of parents having to discuss the issue of same-sex
relationships with younger viewers. Even based on that low of a response, Heinz
immediately pulled the ad, claiming that it listens to their customers.
Mightn’t they have done a survey to discover how many thought the add
was charming appropriate and much needed? Obviously, it was easier just to pull
it and put their fingers in their ears.
The
British gay rights group Stonewall said it was shocked that Heinz had yanked
what it called an “innocuous” ad and urged gay consumers to boycott the
company.
Los Angeles, February 7, 2026
Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (February
2026).
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