Sainsbury's Christmas Ad

[Jebber]

If the British Legion were happy to collaborate, then who are we to object. Apart from bearing Sainsbury's name, there is little in the way of advertising.

If you want to be critical, then how about Tesco refusing to allow a Legion veteran to stand in their foyer to sell his poppies, they only changed their stance after receiving bad publicity.

[Seoras]

Moi, critical, I was merely expressing a personal opinion. I wish Sainsbury's all the best in finding cynical methods to offset their 290 million pounds loss.

[Harlem]

I felt emotionally manipulated. And why? To make me go to Sainsbury's.

Harlemswife

[Jomot]

Bad taste as far as I'm concerned. No matter how beautifully shot and the sentiments expressed. Using the brief respite these young men of both sides had from the horrors of the trenches for commercial gain stinks.

That's pretty much my opinion too.  I've already seen FB posts urging people down to Sainsbury's and it just doesn't sit well with me, but if the British Legion ran the same film and simply asked for donations the sad truth is that people on the whole just wouldn't respond. 

Unfortunately its nothing new (think loo rolls & guide dogs for example), except that the marketing industry has suddenly woken up to the huge potential of branding a product alongside a 'cause' and are now pulling out all of the stops to tug at our heartstrings whilst tapping into the consumerist society we now live in.

"86% of consumers are more likely to buy a product that is associated with a cause or issue and 73% of consumers agree that they would switch brands for the same reason"

"You can ‘emotionalise’ your brand and create a new buying experience for your customers while helping us raise awareness"

Source: Breakthrough Breast Cancer: http://www.breakthrough.org.uk/support-us/partner-your-business-us

For this reason I wont be buying a chocolate bar from Sainsbury's, nor do I 'buy pink', although I do donate, sponsor etc.

[IMBER]

I don't have a problem with it. I thought it very well produced and the fact that the Legion seems very happy with their long standing relationship with Sainsbury's says a lot. This sort of thing is part of life nowadays but this particular example is better done than most. I particularly like the idea of the chocolate being made in Ieper.

Imber

[KGarrad]

My personal opinion?

It's far better than the commercialisation of Christmas by Coca-Cola?!

[Gillg]

I'm heartily sick already of the Christmas TV ads showing by the supermarkets.  No wonder their profits are down, if they throw money at these kitschy ads, which must cost millions to make.  They don't change my shopping habits in the slightest.

And by the way can I squash once and for all the myth that Coca Cola was responsible for introducing Father Christmas in red robes rather than green or any other colour - I have German illustrated books far older than Coca Cola which show him in red robes!

[Clarkey500]

I actually found the advert very good and is certainly up there with Monty The Penguin as the best advert this Christmas. The Royal British Legion must have been happy with it as they are in partnership with them and they even tweeted about the advert.

But we do have to remember it is the centenary of when the Christmas Truce happened which did create joy for the soldiers and extinguish some of the fear of being killed. But it also brings out one of the true meanings of Christmas that Christmas is for sharing with other people and being happy.

So in my opinion, it is a great Christmas advert and is one of two that stand out so far this year. The chocolate bar looks very realistic for the time - I might have to go and get one seeming that the profits for it go to the legion as well.

[msr]

I agree with you about the advert Clarkey.  It is extremely well made and so poignant.

Rather than entreating one and all to come to the store to overspend on non-essentials it should make people think, and be thankful for their lives today.
You are correct in that the profit from every chocolate bar sold goes to the British Legion so if I were passing I might pop in to buy one.   

Thinking in terms of 'ad nauseum' as mentioned by Top-of-the Hill, or being emotionally manipulated (Harlem) seems a little uncaring.  My opinion only though so don't jump on me!

Jebber, I think it was a branch of Morrisons, not Tesco, and that was down to one individual, not company policy.