Uber Eats has amended its Super Bowl commercial following criticism for making a jest out of serious peanut allergies. The scuffle came in the wake of the advertisement, where a man humorously discovers his swollen eye to be a result of eating peanut butter, seemingly ignorant of the primary ingredient being peanuts.
Super Bowl commercials are usually aired during the broadcast of the Super Bowl, a significant event in the annual championship of the National Football League. Uber's controversial advert was part of a promotional campaign that was rolled out online ahead of the actual football championship event.
The ad, bearing the slogan "Don't forget to remember Uber Eats", revolves around the theme of forgetfulness and features a host of stars such as Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Jelly Roll and Usher, narrating stories of people forgetting crucial information.
Despite its star-studded cast, the backlash it received following its debut was significant. Netizens expressed their contempt for the mocking portrayal of people suffering from life-threatening allergies.
In light of this, the not-for-profit organization Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) expressed its disappointment on social media, condemning the company's tasteless humor about the real and serious plight of more than 33 million Americans suffering from food allergy afflictions. According to FARE, food allergies are life-threatening diseases, not dietary quirks.
Soon after, FARE CEO Sung Poblete made the announcement that, in response to the uproar, Uber had agreed to modify the controversial ad by removing the joke about peanut allergies. The revised ad depicts a man who doesn't remember the simple act of sitting down.
Poblete thanked the community for raising their concerns and the collective effort in altering the perception of life-threatening food allergies.
Food allergies, primarily caused by products such as milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, soy, and wheat, trigger potentially hazardous immune responses upon consumption. Nearly six percent of the U.S. adult and child population suffer from food allergies, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Peanut allergies, in particular, are a major contributor to fatalities from anaphylaxis - a severe allergic reaction that leads to throat and tongue swelling. While the overall rate is relatively low, teenagers are particularly vulnerable to such reactions.
