Uber Eats has swiftly modified its Super Bowl advertisement after facing criticism for its comical portrayal of food allergies, which many deemed inappropriate.
In the original one-minute commercial, which was shared online earlier in the week, the food delivery service showcased instances of forgetfulness under the tagline "Don't forget to remember Uber Eats."
The scenes included actress Jennifer Aniston failing to recognize her Friends co-star David Schwimmer, and David and Victoria Beckham struggling to recall her former band, the Spice Girls.
Notably, one scene featured a man eating peanut butter, forgetting he was allergic, which made his face swell up.
The Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) charity, along with other allergy advocacy groups, voiced concerns about the ad, emphasizing that food allergies should not be trivialized, especially in a high-profile event like the Super Bowl.
Speaking on the matter, Ms. Poblete, a representative of FARE, revealed that she had discussions with Uber Eats, in which the company pledged to edit out the reference to peanut allergies.
"I want to thank you, our community, for speaking up so that our voices could be heard as we change the way life-threatening food allergies are perceived," Poblete said in a statement.
Uber Eats, however, did not issue a formal statement regarding the adjustments but shared the edited version of the advertisement.
The agency behind the ad, Special Group, did not respond to requests for comments regarding the controversy.
While Uber Eats' prompt response to the concerns raised by allergy advocates garnered praise online, the incident highlighted the challenges companies face when crafting creative advertisements for high-profile events like the Super Bowl.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang