Sainsbury's faces woke backlash over 2020 Christmas ad
Sainsbury’s has divided opinion on Twitter in relation to its new Christmas ad.
“We know that this year has been different for everyone, so we wanted to take a different approach with our Christmas campaign by simply reminding people that Christmas dishes are gestures of love and care, served by up by those who matter most,” Emma Bisley, Head of Broadcast Marketing at Sainsbury’s, said in a press release.
“It was important to us to focus on family connections and emotions, creating a relatable and heartfelt look at the memories Christmas brings, whilst providing a sense of optimism throughout. We hope everyone enjoys watching the collection and it takes them back to their fondest memories of food, home and Christmas."
Alas, not everyone is a fan, with many in the Twitterverse accusing the grocery giant of virtue signalling. There have also been numerous unsavoury responses regarding a lack of white people on display, but we won’t mention those here.
“We want to be the most inclusive retailer. That's why, throughout all our advertising we aim to represent a modern Britain, which has a diverse range of communities. We have three stories of three different families in our advertising,” a member of Sainsbury’s social media team told the naysayers.
The retailer has, it should be mentioned, also been receiving lots of support this morning from those who view the backlash as at best baffling and at worst racist.
