Heinz Beanz advert banned for health and safety reasons

A Heinz beans advert showing how to beat out a song on tin cans has been banned for health and safety reasons.

The advertisement featured young people and adults using empty or full tins to make the rhythm of a song, with the catchline "#Learn the CanSong".

The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that mistakes might be made that could lead to people cutting their hands or fingers.

Kraft Heinz denied that the advertising campaign posed a risk.

Flipping and twirling

Three viewers complained that the TV advert could encourage unsafe practice and six believed it featured behaviour that could be dangerous for children to copy.

The ASA said it was unlikely that consumers would be as proficient as the actors at flipping and twirling the cans around.

It said mistakes might be made with an empty can, given the manoeuvres required and the lack of instructions.

"For the reasons given and because the ad did not include information on how to ensure consumer safety when recreating the song, we concluded that the ad condoned and encouraged behaviour that prejudiced health or safety," the decision continued.

"We told Heinz to ensure that future ads did not condone or encourage behaviour that prejudiced health and safety, including behaviour that could be dangerous for children to emulate, for example by featuring open tin cans being used to play music."

The ASA ordered Heinz not to broadcast the advert again in its current form.

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Why not just ban all cans, all people who have used cans have, or will die, but you have to try really hard to do too much damage with a can.

Ian S C

As it happens i used to see a lot of can-related injuries but that doesn't stop me thinking the world has gone sl mad and soft... kids won't learn to take care without experiencing risk and (hopefully minor) injury.

The biggest risks now are repetative strain injury from mobiles and allergies from too much 'cleanliness'.

"The ASA is funded by an arm's-length levy on advertising space, which guarantees our independence. We receive no money from the taxpayer. "

Well at least we can be thankful for that!

Completely mental as usual. Why not ban all adverts depicting people driving cars in case children try to copy them and take daddies M Sport for a drive?

just bonkers really, can't get my head around how hypocritical the UK has come to be. I was probably using razor blades on plastic model kits at 8 years old, they just called you daft if you had a (minor) accident then. 

I know some people from several generations before where they used to play among alot of sharp and rusty farm equipment as children and are still alive today. 

Perhaps a little dodgier my own grandfather used to have asbestos fights in the navy, i take it was unhardened but no lung conditions. A little alzheimers but no lung disease. 

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 23/11/2016 11:40:17

The problem IMHO is not really the ASA but the people who complained...

"Three viewers complained that the TV advert could encourage unsafe practice and six believed it featured behaviour that could be dangerous for children to copy."

Why? Perhaps their names and addresses should be published

I do not see any advice on the cans to say, be careful when opening as the edges may well be sharp. Perhaps somebody will sue Heinz for selling a dangerously packed product

Un- related I know-- what about cans with ring pulls ? Often sharp, usually on the outside but sometimes inside. Very dangerous cos' you can't tell until the finger is in. Know a very good guitar player who could not play for weeks after a nasty cut.

Shouldn't all kettles be banned as they produce boiling water? Some idiots look for danger where none exists but these are the same people who use mobiles when driving.

Tony

I'm sure Heinz don't mind. They won't be running the ad again. And this extra attention has given them some free nationwide advertising.

Steve

Edited By Steven Vine on 23/11/2016 11:55:32

Edited By Steven Vine on 23/11/2016 11:55:53

I recently bought an electric kettle that switches off automatically when it boils. The instructions stated that it should not be left unattended. I thought that was why auto kettles were invented.

how the hell did we survive childhood?

i let my kids do stuff i did as kid.

my 9 yr old boy can weld and use the lathe ( under supervision of course ).

my 8 yr old can use lathe as above.

both have used drill press ans cordless drills and jigsaws again as above.

from being able to crawl they have done things with me like i did with my dad.

i let my boy change plugs which i check after obviously.

my eldest kids are same.

ex-wife reckons they were all born covered in grease and holding spanners.

to the spanner born

You got a much better response than me, Ady

**LINK**

http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=113570&p=91

MichaelG.

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Not related but similar mentality.

I see in the news that the fairytale Cinderella has been rewritten as it was considered sexist.

Nick

The sad thing is that the people responsible for these changes take themselves seriously, and others do as well. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

Steve

Probably because Ady spelt it out in text and it was plain to see. I don't always have time to follow tons of links that are going to 'I don't know where'.

Steve

Its perfectly OK for youngsters to watch mind blowing violence and effing and blinding on the telivision, but cant mess around with tin cans, or play conkers at school !!!.