Grocery Chain’s ‘Plan A Super Spread’ Thanksgiving Ad Gets Pushback

Grocery chain Giant Food received backlash after it ran a Thanksgiving ad promoting a "super spread" in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The full-page ad, which ran in the December issue of Giant Food’s “Savory” magazine, read “Hosting? Plan a super spread.” It was backdropped by a table of food that featured a cheese board, shrimp cocktail ring, fruit plate, and dessert tart.

The superspreader events that Giant Food’s ad made mention of have commonly been linked to large gatherings where the coronavirus has spread among a group of people that attended the same event. These events have often been referred to as large church services, rallies, weddings, parties, concerts, or sporting events, where large crowds gather and the coronavirus breaks out in masses.

These superspreader events often include people that are not practicing social distancing guidelines or wearing masks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises against large gatherings and has recommended that families and friends avoid large dinner parties for Thanksgiving that could increase the risk of spreading the coronavirus. Instead, the agency encourages people to hold small dinners with their households and video chat with friends and family.

Giant Foods, which is located in the mid-Atlantic region, issued an apology for the play-on-words, telling Today, "We apologize for our advertisement in Savory which used the language Super Spread to describe an abundance of food.

“While, in hindsight, the choice of words was a poor one, Giant had no intentions of insensitivity. We continue to encourage people to practice safe social distancing practices for celebrating the holidays in line with CDC recommendations. 2020 has been exceptionally challenging for so many reasons and this year the holidays will be celebrated very differently, but we hope that food can still be a source of joy and comfort and that the ad reflects that spirit.”

In the same issue of “Savory” magazine, Campbell ran a Thanksgiving ad with a green bean casserole recipe that said, “Slay the Spread this season.”