Uber Eats Super Bowl ad draws criticism over peanut allergy joke

Despite the star-studded execution, Uber Eats' 2024 Super Bowl commercial has drawn criticism by non-profit organisation Food Allergy Canada (FAC) over a peanut allergy joke. The organisation has requested that Uber Eats remove the segment of concern as it does not add any value and is potentially harmful.

Don't miss: USHER's Spotify streams soars and A-list stars make comeback amidst Superbowl

“While the commercial alienates individuals with food allergy, the real harm is reducing the perception of its seriousness in the broader community and reinforcing that it’s okay to make fun of this potentially life-threatening condition,” said a letter from FAC to Uber Eats.

“The fact that this is a Super Bowl commercial with exponential reach makes this even more harmful, as research shows that depicting medical conditions in a comical way reduces its perceived seriousness,” the letter further stated.

Uber Eats has since removed the clip depicting the peanut allergy.

Titled ‘Don’t forget Uber Eats’, the commercial features David and Victoria Beckham along with Friends cast members Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer as they forget key moments in their lives but remember certain things that Uber Eats can deliver to them.

In the ad with Aniston, she is seen bumping into Schwimmer and forgetting that she spent 10 years working with him on the set of Friends.

In a second ad, both the Beckhams struggle to remember the name of Victoria's incredibly popular girl group, the Spice Girls.

Over the weekend, USHER’s highly anticipated Super Bowl performance drew in 129.3 million viewers, making it the most-viewed Halftime Show in history according to media reports. The previous record belonged to Rihanna’s 2023 performance that drew 121 million viewers.

These are huge numbers considering that artists don’t actually get paid to perform at the Super Bowl.

This is also why it is crucial for brands advertising at the Super Bowl to bring out their biggest and most creative works because it is there that it gets some of the biggest eyeballs.

Related articles:
Fenty Beauty steals Super Bowl spotlight with zero dollars spent on advertising
Study: 62% expect to spend more on food delivery apps in 2024
How Zara's apology for its controversial campaign 'gaslit' consumers