If Betty Crocker Can Feature Gay People, Why Can’t Barilla?
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As Italian pasta marketer Barilla was dealing with backlash Thursday over Chairman Guido Barilla’s comment that he opposes using gay families in ads, competitor Buitoni USA served up this simple message on its Facebook page: “A remarkable dish can bring people together,” adding this quote from the late legendary food writer James Beard, who also happened to be gay: “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
The post from Buitoni, which is owned by Nestle, “is not a reaction or laden with any secret message. It’s just promoting our ‘good food, good life’ philosophy,” according to a Nestle spokesman. “We don’t comment on our competitors,” the company said when asked about the Barilla situation. But on Friday morning the brand appeared to go directly after its competitor with a Facebook post carrying the message “Pasta for all” and gender symbols made out of pasta.
Buitoni’s approach points to the larger trend of family food brands embracing more-inclusive messaging. Mr. Barilla’s comment to an Italian radio station that “I would never do [a commercial] with a homosexual family” seems to run counter to that. He said that his views are not from a “lack of respect but because we don’t agree with them. Ours is a classic family where the woman plays a fundamental role,” according to a report from Reuters.
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