to think that Littlewoods advert should be banned?

[CherylWillBounceBack]

Shameful for all the reasons below:

a) Ruins Christmas by exposing the truth about Santa's existence.
b) Encourages debt fuelled consumerism (easy payments)
c) could pressurise people out of guilt to spend more than they can afford
d) Attempts to make presents which are ridiculously look like the norm
e) Suggests that we should pass our hard earned up a generation by putting laptops on the knees of grandparents. Rich old people can buy their own electronic tat if they so choose.
f) annoying tune that gets stuck in the head.

I bloody hate that ad.

yANBU! It's appalling, the Bright House/Provident generation at it's very worst. And the kid rapping makes me want to chew my ears off.

YANBU! I hate the undertone of 'I love my mum because she bought us all expensive things'. Totally immoral.

Rich old people can buy their own electronic tat if they so choose. Yay and so not have to spend it on the bawling brats and grabby grown up kids :)

If I bought all that lot for my family I wouldn't buy myself some jewellery as a treat, I'd sink a bottle of baileys and book an appointment with citizens advice, safe in the knowledge we wouldn't be having a holiday the next year due to paying off the debts!

I agree with StrandedBear about point A.

Littlewoods is hardly known as the pinnacle of good taste though, is it?

StrandedBear - the whole ad is about 'Who put the expensive crap under the tree?'

as it turns out, the beleaguered mother, and not Santa.

It doesn't mention dad... I presume he has popped out to get a new Benz on tick for his Christmas present.

You know adverts exist to try to get us to buy stuff, don't you? That's the whole point. Adverts are just irritating but they have no power beyond that which you decide to give them. That's why I mute the tv when they're on, or flick to see what else is on. There is no need to feel pressured, compelled to buy or guilty.

Companies will try to entice us to spend our money and to spend money we don't have. We are still responsible to choosing to do so.

They aren't there to help us or support us in any way, they just want our cash and they'll run whatever campaign they think will get it

It's a pile of crap. As if buying plastic shit makes you a good mother. If my children thought that money equals love, I'd think I'd done a pretty shit job of raising them.

Why should it be banned? Just don't shop at Littlewoods if you don't like it. I didn't even know they were still in business until all the furore regarding this advert.

This is true Hectate, but it's in such poor taste. I'm all for subliminal 'Buy me' messages in the latest episode of the Vampire Diaries, but to go to the extremes that they have in this advert is simply beyond the pale.

I hope those who storyboarded the advert get nothing but an orange and a pair of socks this festive season.

I'd never seen that advert before, and tbh, was going to come on and say oh it's just another Christmas advert, they're all the same.
But I have to admit, having clicked on the link, it is truly appalling.
Guess who won't be buying at Littlewoods this Christmas not that I ever do.

I don't get this "all the presents are from Santa"

What about presents from Granparents, Aunts, Friends?

I know every family is different but I grew up with (as did my friends) with stocking or pillow case of small toys from FC and main present from parent(s)

I heard this on the radio today and thought it was really quite sick.

I guess I'm just not seeing what you're seeing.

It's an advert.

Buy lots of crap you don't really need from Littlewoods. You'll make everyone really happy, christmas will be crap without it, you don't even need to pay for it now, and buying all this stuff from us will make you drop 4 dress sizes, grow 3 inches, have your boobs lift back up to where they used to be small woodland creatures will invade your home to sing with you, will fall in love with you and when you die, the Pope will make you a saint.

Pretty standard ad stuff, if you ask me

It's all crap. Meaningless crap that has no power whatsoever.

the coca cola ad will even it out :)

It's the incessant exploitation of children and the guilt that oozes from it that separates this advert from the norm Hectate. It's presence in my concious confirms a new low for society in general.

That's advertising!

What about the disney world one? People are saying that's guilt trip city.

I remember ads from my childhood that were exactly the same - do this, mum, and the kids will be so happy and will love you forever.

Your child needs needs needs this pointless thing. Buy their love, buy it buy it.

Companies have always used the innocent child, beaming with happiness tactic.

I tell my kids that adverts are a load of rubbish, designed by people who want our money and that there's a big difference between what they claim something is like and what it's actually like

I mean, you feel how you feel and clearly you feel very strongly about this, and I am not trying to rubbish you in any way - but adverts are just - adverts. They're not yet running subliminal messages trying to hypnotise us (although I bet they wish they could ) so you just have to accept they are what they are and turn over the tv with a roll of your eyes.

I used to love the Toys R Us Christmas adverts when I was small.

'There's millions of Jeffreys, all under one roof...'.

It took me years to realise I'd misheard the lyrics .

Truly awful, it would be nice to see one of the children with a book!

If you don't want to buy, don't buy. Don't blame others if you do. This is like the argument that the lottery is a tax on the poor.