Watching Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer share a screen is immensely looked forward to. It’s been two decades since Friends went off air, but the actors still ride the wave of popularity the show brought them. Ross and Rachel are easily television’s most iconic couple. And Aniston and Schwimmer are equally loved for bringing those characters to life.
This Super Bowl season brought the stars together again to shoot an ad film for UberEats. However, the concept of the advertisement was laden with such controversy that featuring Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer couldn’t prevent it from getting shelved.
Jennifer Aniston in the Uber Eats commercial
Controversial Uber Eats Ad Couldn’t Be Saved By Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer
Super Bowl season is about going all out; with joy, celebrations, and sporting spirit. Millions of Americans tune in for their biggest festival. This makes the Super Bowl the perfect opportunity for advertisements and promotions. Having a Super Bowl halftime ad is no joke.
David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston in UberEats commercial
Uber Eats made an ad for the Super Bowl that featured Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Jelly Roll, and Usher along with Victoria and David Beckham. Big names on the roster and a big opportunity for promotion and yet things went wrong. One misstep led to a lot of bashing of the advertisement and it had to be taken down.
The ad had a spoof on people with peanut allergies which did not go well with the audiences. Many were offended that a food delivery company would make a joke about something life-threatening to so many individuals.
Don’t blame us, blame your brain. 🧠
Whatever you forget, remember #UberEats.
Get groceries, everyday items, and more…#SuperBowlLVIII pic.twitter.com/9YEEZKW3u9— Uber Eats (@UberEats) February 6, 2024
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In a scene of the minute-long commercial a man who has broken out in hives and has a swollen eye eats from a peanut butter jar before saying: “There’s peanuts in peanut butter?… Oh, it’s the primary ingredient.”
Social media users thought this to be rude to the millions who suffer from this allergy. And it wasn’t just random trolls on social media, a non-profit organization, Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) also expressed their contempt on the matter. They posted a tweet on X which read:
“We’re incredibly disappointed by @UberEats‘ use of life-threatening food allergies as humor in its Super Bowl ad.”
We're incredibly disappointed by @UberEats' use of life-threatening food allergies as humor in its Super Bowl ad. The suffering of 33M+ Americans with this condition is no joke. Life-threatening food allergy is a disease, not a diet. Enough is enough. https://t.co/aKilgfweVd
— FARE | Food Allergy Research & Education (@FoodAllergy) February 7, 2024
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Comments like this one caused the food delivery company to reconsider and eventually change the commercial.
Social Media Users Did Not Hold Back
Usher in Uber Eats Super Bowl 2024 commercial
As is normal with controversial occurrences, the backlash on social media was immense. Here are some things people have said:
Trust me we don’t forget we have life threatening food allergies, we deal with it daily #foodallergyanxietyisreal take it seriously please stop playing around with our lives not funny
— CLynn (@CLynn0074) February 7, 2024
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Food allergies aren't funny, and they're definitely not forgettable. When you joke about allergies you teach the public it's ok to not take them seriously, and that can have deadly consequences.
— Leanna Smithberger (@DrSmithberger) February 7, 2024
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Nothing funny about a peanut allergy- Do Better!
— vicki kamlet fine (@vickifine11) February 8, 2024
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Occurring on a platform as big as the Super Bowl and having A-listers like Jennifer Aniston and Victoria Beckham promoting a brand doesn’t cover up the negligence shown towards the emotions of people who are suffering. The intense bashing on social media caused Uber Eats to edit that specific part of the commercial.
