The Heart Foundation has been slammed on social media for a new advertisement that implies people who don’t look after their hearts, don’t love their families.
The original ad showed a mother tucking her little boy into bed, telling him "every time I told you I loved you I was lying; you are not my priority".
After a social-media backlash, the foundation has since cut the scene from the ad on its website.
But the ad still features a mother in a hospital bed telling her little daughter: "It's not just my heart I don't care about, it's yours as well."
And it also shows a man washing dishes with his partner or wife telling her: "I promised you my heart and I've given it away."
The Heart Foundation has edited an ad after a social media backlash. Source: Heart Foundation ad
While the foundation edited the ad on its website, it still shows the unedited version on its Twitter account.
In response to criticism on Twitter, the foundation responded that the campaign had been designed to get people's attention.
An advertising specialist and campaigner Dee Madigan described the ad as insensitive.
Ms Madigan also tweeted: “There is a difference between using parental guilt and this monstrosity.”
The Heart Foundation Victoria CEO Kellie-Ann Jolly issued an apology, saying she understood that the campaign had upset people who have lost a loved one to heart disease.
“We apologise if we've caused offence to anyone, we appreciate the feedback and we have responded by no longer using the scene where a mother told a son that she had told him she loved him but that she had lied,” Ms Jolly said in a statement.
The foundation had taken a bold approach, she said, “by using moments of family life that people can relate to in order to cut through” and get Australians to understand their risks of heart disease.
“Our message is that looking after your heart means you are also looking after the hearts of those who love you.
The figures also show death rates increase according to how remote a person's location is. Source: Getty Images
"We realise that not everyone will agree with our approach. However, our intention is from a good place, to save lives,” she said.
The foundation urged men and women over 45 to have their hearts checked at their local GP.
According to the foundation, 200,000 Australians have died in the past five years from heart problems, with an additional 600,000 living with heart disease.
“Since the campaign started, more than 20,000 people have visited our website to find out their risk using our Heart Age Calculator. The message is getting through,” Ms Jolly said.
