To have a little cry over the new Sainsburys Christmas advert

[daisychain01]

...just like I did over Monty (the JL penguin).

I know Sainsbo's are making money out of WW1, maybe it's a cynical ploy to flog more turkeys and plonk, but at least they are donating the chocolate bar money to RBL.

What do you think?

[LST]

I've just watched it and it has really touched me. I think it's a good thing they are doing.

[KissMyFatArse]

I thought it was lovely.

[Cluffyflump]

It made me well up.
I torn between thinking how good it is and feeling that they (sainsbo) are cashing in..

[LouiseBrooks]

Personally I am somewhat uneasy about it. It's good they are giving the money to RBL but it does feel a tad like badwagon jumping.

However, others will (and obviously do) disagree with my opinion. What staggered me was the number of people on the internet saying "it really brought home to me" ... I can't believe that people need a somewhat trite ad to bring home to them the horrors of WWI especially when the whole thing is so sanitised and not remotely horrific.

[LouiseBrooks]

Not that I think a Xmas ad should be horrific, by the way.

[JanineStHubbins]

Exploitative and crass.

[ghostyslovesheep]

yabu just for using 'Sainsbo's'

[AesSedai]

It's good they are giving the money to RBL but it does feel a tad like badwagon jumping.

Let's get this straight once and for all - THEY DID IT IN CONJUNCTION WITH RBL.........not "giving them a donation", not "giving them some money".......IN CONJUNCTION.....with RBNL's total co-operation.

The RBL approached Sainsbury's and asked them to do this as a joint venture.........get it now?????

[Onlygirlinmyhouse1]

Sainsburys are getting a lot if great feedback on this advert and some negative which is a shame because it's a lovely ad that shows even though there is conflict we can all stop and share & care. Yes it promotes sainsburys but with the partnership of the RBL it's raising funds for the appeal. Sainsburys also waited until after armistice day to put their Xmas ad out something most other retailers didn't think about, and prior to the Xmas ad they had their poppy appeal ad all of which promotes the message of a great charity. Yes people see a bar of chocolate as a gimmick but the proceeds are all for a great cause. For me it's the front runner of all the Xmas ads out there.

[LouiseBrooks]

Blimey AesSedai there's no need to shout. Forgive me for having an opinion but I still don't like it.

[kateclarke]

AesSedai, did you mean to be so rude ?

[givemushypeasachance]

I find it strange. If Sainsburys wanted to just raise money for the British Legion and raise awareness of this moment of history from WWI, they could have made a short film and released it without their name being on it and without labeling it as their "Christmas advert". Christmas adverts for supermarkets are about raising the profile of a company in the hope that more people will come and spend more money in their stores, raising their profits. Combining the two things - remembrance & charity with commercial festive profit-seeking - makes me uncomfortable and I can't help but think it's harnessing the centenary of WWI to try to flog more of their festive tat and turkeys.

[MissBlennerhasset]

I think it's awful. Airbrushing WWI, where men were killed by the million, to encourage you to buy your Christmas pud from a particular supermarket? Crass.

[Stormingateacup]

I found it utterly depressing, in that it reminded me of the senseless slaughter of it all. It didn't give me a warm fuzzy glow.

Is that what a company wants from its advertising?

[JamNan]

I had a little cry? Really?
FFS!
It's a nasty manipulation of the camaraderie of soldiers during a terrible conflict. To use it to sell a supermarket brand is unforgivable.

[daisychain01]

AesSedai it sounds like you have an axe to grind - are you connected with either Sainsburys or RBL by any chance?

MissBlennerhasset Is it really airbrushing? One thing everyone knows for sure, the WW1 heroes were never all squeaky clean in the trenches. So isn't it just like any old WW film, it's a bit made up and everyone watches it for the story.

I do want to get to a Sainsburys to buy a bar of blue chocolate! I might get a few of them for Christmas Day - oh dear, there I go again!

Come on gordy I mean ghosty, you know I was only saying Sainsbo's for the wind-up value (glad it worked!)

Wonder if Tesco will come out with some (probably bargain-basement, they are a bit worn-out these days).

[daisychain01]

Aww come on, it was (a bit) heart-warming - singing the Christmas carol in both languages, and all. ...

[TrousersSchmowsers]

I just can't get my head around why a SUPERMARKET ADVERT is an appropriate vehicle for a history lesson about WW1. It makes the trenches look twee. We must not sanitise history for chocolate sales.

[daisychain01]

JamNan no honest I really did - don't be harsh. It was just a reminder about the ceasefire, that in itself was poignant, the stupidity of war and how easy it was to just say "stop, lets be friends".

If nothing else, doesn't it teach children (in a benign way, rather than scaring the life out of them) about the lessons of war?

[Neverbuyheliumbalonz]

Exploiting the horrific experiences of WW1 soldiers to get ahead in the competition for the nations emotions at Christmas. This is what we have come to, it's grim.

[JanineStHubbins]

Bread and circuses, eh?

[MissBlennerhasset]

Bread and circuses exactly!

Yes of course it's airbrushing.

Dulce et decorum est

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.—
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

THAT'S what the war was. Not some stylised mates-in-the-trenches, all-friends-on-Christmas-Day, let's-buy-mince-pies-from-Sainsbury's production.

[JanineStHubbins]

Or chocolate and Christmas ads, in this case.

[Shlep]

My step great grandad swapped cigarettes on Christmas Day in WW1 (for cheese!) in 1914, he was killed in 1916. I love it. It's in partnership with RBL and it sends a good message about Christmas- about togetherness, sharing what you have and peace- whereas most adverts nowadays are more materialistic.

[MindReader]

AesSedai

can you please link to the data confirming that RBL approached Sainsbury's and not the other way around?

thanks