Why are people boycotting Boots? Are you?

[Deadbeatex]

For full disclosure I haven't seen the advert yet, but I'll probably end up searching for it if I don't come across it naturally during viewing in the next few days.

I've seen the #boycottboots and have worked out it's to do with their new Christmas ad. What's the issue? Are you boycotting Boots or do you think people are overreacting?

Randomly choosing the poll options simply because as stated I've not seen the ad so I don't currently have an opinion either way

YABU I'm boycotting
YANBU it's an overreaction

Boots marketing have clearly done a fine job. Here we are all watching it. I haven’t watched another Christmas ad yet and am here discussing it on mumsnet 🤣

I hadn’t taken that much notice. Drag queens will buy much more make up that I do, and they have to buy it somewhere. Why wouldn’t a retailer want their £££s? Humans of all types want to buy things and retailers will do their best to get their money. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I used to spend loads of money in Boots, now I rarely go in because I’m not in the town centre often and don’t buy much of what they sell enough to make a special trip.

I've avoided them since they had a print magazine article about 'outstanding women'. The first one wasn't a woman and another one was 'outstanding' on the basis of pronouns.

The other three had decent stories but by that point i didn't care any more. I think that was the same issue that repeated the lie that using preferred pronouns literally saved lives. 🙄

Compare like with like - the comment was factual and about the British royal family with it’s long history of colonialism and imperialism. Name me a black royal family with similar history. And the actressI believe is actually dual heritage/mixed race.

That's false equivalence whataboutery.

If I decide to be offended over either of those things I'll be sure to let you know!

On a different note, I think I have been boycotting boots for several years because it's just a bit shit.

I know, I know, I'm a vile bigot, oh well c'est la vie!

Not in the advert but in previous comments she made
Read the thread to see

Wow

The aim of advertising is to draw attention to your brand and this is exactly what Boots have achieved. So well done to that advertising agency.

Might be. But if it is in an African country and they'd just thrown out their only white relative it might well be fair comment.

Hadn’t seen it so just watched it…

The main character is fabulous - great look, great skin, great hair…unfortunately that’s all let down by juxtaposing her with the pantomime dame element.

It certainly makes me think less of Boots as a brand. If they can’t celebrate their core demographic without misogynistic mimicry then I will go elsewhere.

It’s not a hardship though - their shops are run down and their website is so crap it’s virtually unusable.

I don't care for the main character - not because she's a woman, or black or of 'a certain age' but because I don't care for her as an actress. I find her arch, mannered and constantly over-acting. I remember seeing her in Doctor Who, years ago, playing Martha's mum and she was fine but since Bridgerton, she's become ever so grand!

Yes definitely the Boots brand manager and ad agency creative will be seeing all the stuff on the likes of here and X and thinking "job well done 👍!" Especially as most of people are saying "It's a Boots advert"

Fwiw I thought it was a bit old fashioned and felt like it seem it before with the style of the Santa's workshop. And drag queens in ads is hardly new.

So if kate Winslet said the African royal family (king Mohammed vi) fir example were terribly black,it would be OK? Answer honestly.

Yes, I'm boycotting. The majority of its customers are women, and I find that their ongoing 'gold' status as Stonewall Champions has made them get confused between being inclusive and being exclusive to women. The advert is offensive to me because it is overtly pushing..forcing on us..the idea that women are simply not enough, we must be pandering constantly to men - the use of the word 'them' is also a kick in the teeth to me, as a gender critical feminist, because the word is used deliberately to push the gender ideology agenda.

Aside from the relentless gender ideology, even at Christmas time when things really should be comforting and cosy, the advert overall is stupid. It is cringeworthy, with the use of bad actors (sorry, influencers). The scene where the man says 'how do I look' and the woman says 'slaying' to him, is particularly awful. Could they find no out of work actors at this difficult time of year..why else would they use influencers/instagrammers?
Adjoa Andoh must have been a bit skint to do this advert..I can think of no other reason why she wasted her talent on this pile of $%@*!

And for those who say we must have 'too much time on our hands'. We are fighting for the protection of women's rights, it isn't easy but it's your daughters who won't be able to say 'he' anymore in school when referencing men in women's clothing, or play in women only team sports because men wish to join. You may think it's only an advert, but actually, the ongoing onslaught of gender ideology is part of a larger picture of female erasure.

Might have a glass of wine now.

I worked on the shoot for a boots Xmas ad many years ago. It was great fun. And yes, even then it featured prominently a woman of colour, over a size eight, and about 50! Progressive stuff. 🙄
I can't boycott it as I get my meds there. The only other pharmacy within walking distance is run by a misogynistic prick who accused me of stealing DHs medicine. I think most boots stores are closing down now? It's very overpriced for most toiletries etc. The stores are quite depressing and it's a somewhat unloved environment. The staff always look pretty unhappy. So yeah, they're not great really.

I don't have a telly but just watched it on YouTube and am not sure if I will stop cringing for some time. The best I could say is that it does have nightmarish Kafkaesque qualities, if you like that sort of thing.

Haven't seen anyone be bigoted on this thread. Most people are appalled at the idea of people boycotting the advert because of race.

Why mention it.
What does it have to do with anything..the Royal family are all white.
It wasn’t an appropriate comment and given the comparison made was not meant in a nice way. Which is why she sort of explained her comment the next day

Nailed it. I’m far too busy this time of year to be looking for offensive in Christmas ads. My initial reaction was thank fuck Boots ‘gets it’ for the women, who are inadvertently doing the majority of the Christmas shopping.

Africa is a continent.

This is what she said. "We have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony."
'The rich diversity' meant 'lots of different races / colours / types of people.
'Terribly white balcony' meant 'Everyone on the balcony was terribly white'.
If the royal family had all been black and she'd said "...to a terribly black balcony" , would she have been accused of racism?
Perhaps.....

It was on the news and I think it’s also about the lead actress in the ad shown in a previous interview saying there was no diversity on the balcony of the royal family and the Kings coronation as being terribly white (her words).

Yes,I'm fully aware of that,thanks.Hence the reason there are 3 seperate monarchies. I used one as an example.