Image: Tins of Heinz Baked Beans rest on a palette in the company’s factory in Wigan, Britain, May 21, 2009. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) – A Heinz television advert showing people drumming a rhythm on its baked bean cans has been banned by British regulators on safety grounds.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that Heinz’s “Can Song” advert should not be broadcast again in its current form after nine people complained that the ad encouraged unsafe practices or could be dangerous for children to copy. Over 1.6 million people viewed a version of the ad on YouTube.
The ad showed families, workers and festival goers enjoying Heinz beans, a British mealtime staple, and using the tin cans to hammer out percussion sounds to accompany an original song.
The ASA said there was a risk that viewers could cut themselves on used cans when trying to emulate the ad.
Heinz, part of the Kraft Heinz Co, said it did not believe the ad posed any safety risk. It said videos featuring the “Can Song” on social media included instructions on preparing a can and taping the inside to avoid cuts.
The ASA ruling comes after the end of the TV campaign, which ran for two months, said a Heinz spokesman in Britain.
“Although we acknowledge the ASA decision, the TV campaign is over and we have no plans to run it again.”
(Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Keith Weir)
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