ASA Ban Heinz Advert After Comparing Baked Beans to Protein Shake

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Wednesday 25th July 2018


The Advertising Standards Agency have taken the step to ban an advert for Heinz Baked Beans for making an unfound claim about its nutritional content. This marks the second time the manufacturer has had an advert banned by the ASA in recent years.

The ad in question depicted a couple talking about nutrition, as the man enters his kitchen following an exercise and takes out a protein shake, saying that it is low in fat and high in fibre. His partner takes out of the microwave a bowl of baked beans, with an on screen graphic highlighting that baked beans are high in protein and fibre, as well as being low in fat. The slogan, “Good without going on about it” is then showed at the conclusion.

The ASA took issue with the strong implication that baked beans are as nutritious as a protein shake, an unfounded claim which leads almost invariably to a ban on broadcasting the advert in its current form.

The problem is that baked beans compare well to protein shakes only in these three regards, whilst also containing 22 grams of sugar per tin. Protein shakes also often contain added fibre and probiotic elements

This is the second time this advert has been banned, with the advert being refused for broadcast last year as well. An amended version was submitted and has now been rejected. Heinz have stated they will not appeal the decision or attempt to run the advert again.

This is the second advert that has caused issues with the Advertising Standards Agency. In November 2016 another baked beans advert entitled #CanSong, in which viewers learn how to tap the tin like a drum led to concerns that people may cut their hands on the sharp lip of the tin and therefore encouraged activity it would be dangerous for children to emulate.

Despite video tutorials to set up the tin ready for the Can Song being posted online, the advert itself had no such instructions. The ASA banned the advert and any further Heinz adverts that featured open tin cans making music.