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We Truly ARE Stronger Together - So Grateful for Our Community

March 1, 2024  |  Adolescents, Adults, Advocacy, Allergies, Allergy, Allergy-Awareness, Anaphylaxis, Awareness, Blog, Bullying, Caregivers, Children, Compassion, Dining-Out, Education, Emergencies, Emergency, Emotions, Empathy, Epinephrine, FAACT, Family, Food-Allergies, Food-Allergy, Food-allergy-blog, Food-Industry, FoodService, Global, Grandparent, Inclusion, Know-The-FAACTs, Label, Manufacturer, Mental-Health, Nonprofit, Parent, Patient, Peanut, Peanut-Allergy, Peanut-Butter, Preparedness, Readlabels, Safety-Tips, Spring, Student, Super-Bowl, Support, Support-Group, Teal-Love, Top9, UberEats
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It’s a common saying: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The food allergy community proved that it’s true on Super Bowl Sunday!

In early February, Uber Eats previewed an ad they had scheduled to run during the Super Bowl. When a commercial meant to be funny turned into an outrageous moment poking fun at food allergies, the grins turned into shock.

The commercial’s tagline, “Whatever you forget, remember Uber Eats gets groceries,” was coupled with scenes in which celebrities and everyday people forgot important people and tasks. One segment showed a man, his face covered in hives, sitting with a spoon in front of a huge jar labeled “peanut butter”—the scene clearly meant to show that he was experiencing an allergic reaction. Extremely small letters at the bottom of the screen urged viewers to “please, please, please do not forget there are peanuts in peanut butter.” 

Outraged, the food allergy community took action. FAACT President and CEO, Eleanor Garrow-Holding, released a video directed at Uber Eats and the ad agency, Special Groups USA. Food allergy organizations and leaders, as well as stunned families and patients, quickly send out videos, letters, social posts, and calling on Uber Eats to remove the segment—and educate themselves about food allergies. Garrow-Holding explained in her video, “As insensitive as it was, these types of ads can be harmful and life-threatening to people with food allergies. All food allergies and anaphylaxis are serious and no laughing matter. Period.”

Voices from around the globe shared a clear message: food allergies are not a joke. They asked Uber Eats to remove the peanut butter segment from the ad. Guess what happened next? The Uber Eats Super Bowl 2024 commercial aired without the peanut butter segment!

“Thank you to the food allergy community,” Garrow-Holding heartfully shared after the revised ad aired. “All of us, all of your voices - made this happen. It takes a village, and I’m so proud that we always come together. We are mighty, and we are loud. And we get things done. I’m so proud of everyone in the food allergy community. We are all in this together!”

As we get ready to welcome spring, let’s stay strong together. This is the perfect time to renew our love and support for one another as families and individuals living with food allergies. Let the success of our response to the Uber Eats commercial remind each of us that we can make the world a better place.