Andy Wade Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 I haven't seen the J Lewis one either. Perhaps that is because I rarely watch TV. Am I missing something? Hang on I'll check the schedules for the next month. No. I've looked through them all and there's 200 channels and nothing on. And people ask me where I get the time to do the research. Well, to paraphrase Bruce Springsteen again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyhound Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 The advert is of a very high standard, in professional and technical terms it is up there with the very best (Hamlet cigars, Apple 1984, Levi Jeans) in the TV ad Hall of Fame. That should not blind us to its crippling weaknesses. The first is that it does not respect the memory of those who fought, suffered and died on the Western Front - and that is the standard which we should be judging it. It presents a sentimentalised, Disneyesque yule-tide view of life in the trenches in Christmas 1914. It could be the OTC Christmas Concert. Where are the body parts, the corpses, rats, the excrement ... .? There is no reference to the fact that some soldiers didn't get as far as the exchange of gifts because they were killed as soon as they ventured over the parapets into no-mans land. And for what? To sell chocolate bars. One commentator has described the advert in these terms: "It surely behoves us as a society to retain those deaths (of those who died in the First World War) with respect and a degree of reverence. Would we welcome an advert next Christmas showing a touching little scene between a Jewish child and a disabled child in Auschwitz, swapping gifts for Christmas and Hanukah on their way to the gas chambers? I would hope not, yet I fail to see any great moral difference." I have to agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 Hazel Only a friendly suggestion - but it may help if you mention which of the earlier 298 posts is the load of twaddle. John Thanks John. I think most people would have gathered it was 292,but then maybe not. Although "twaddle" was probably the wrong word because what Hedley says is likely perfectly true. However, not talking about dead rats and excrement, sounds fairly sensible to me. I don't think any worthwhile purpose is served by dredging all that up at this stage, and I am darned sure that people like my grandfather would not want to be remembered for that stuff. Anyone who wants to know the minutia of war can find out plenty. What I have a problem with, is the fact that for many years after the war, countless families experienced heartbreaking situations, and the government didn't do a heck of a lot to alleviate their suffering. Countless small businesses did their best to improve the lot of the damaged veterans in their areas. To access what little government help there was, the men and their families had to go through all kinds of hoops. I don't think a great deal has changed in that respect. Of course companies try to improve their corporate images, but so what. They will still raise millions of dollars to improve the lives of returning soldiers. As I said in an earlier post, they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Hazel C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 We're always 'knocking' films and tv series for inaccuracies, and though the uniforms etc, and apparently much else have been done with care, Hedley does have a point, that for all that, it is not an accurate depiction of what happened Christmas 1914? I hear you, but still think the chocolate leaves an after-taste? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pighills Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 People also need to bear in mind that this advert was (and presumably still is?) shown before the watershed. This means it must be suitable for younger viewers and the realities of war really are not suitable for youngsters to view. Sainsbury's would seriously come under fire if they'd shown bodies blown to bits (they don't even show that on the news -why would it be suitable for an advert?). Let's look at the rats feasting on bodies shall we? Erm, no I don't think so! Stuff of nightmares - but it'll be ok, because it really happened. Sometimes, just sometimes, people have to accept the sentimentality and disneyfication because reality isn't always appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger H Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 but still think the chocolate leaves an after-taste? Mike Actually, it's delicious Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 I just love the Munch snowman. Definitely me by the time I have visited Sainsburys for the last time before the event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indefatigable Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 I've been to my local Sainsbury's five times (for other things) since the advert was released and I have yet to see any of the bars of chocolate on sale. This morning according to one the sales people we asked Sainsbury's underestimated the impact it would have on actual sales and enough was not made. My local store had it on sale soon after the advert was aired and their supply lasted for three days before running out and they have not had any since. My brother-in-law works for them only at weekends and he hasn't even seen a bar as in his store it was all sold before the weekend! regards Indefatigable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyhound Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 I've been to my local Sainsbury's five times (for other things) since the advert was released and I have yet to see any of the bars of chocolate on sale. This morning according to one the sales people we asked Sainsbury's underestimated the impact it would have on actual sales and enough was not made. My local store had it on sale soon after the advert was aired and their supply lasted for three days before running out and they have not had any since. My brother-in-law works for them only at weekends and he hasn't even seen a bar as in his store it was all sold before the weekend! regards Indefatigable I haven't seen any either. I've been in Sainsburys twice since this started. First time I went in for a couple of things as I was passing, and had actually forgotten about the chocolate. On that occasion I needed petrol, and remembered about the chocolate when I went into the garage shop to pay. There was none on sale, and they said they hadn't had any at all. Second time was in a different town. I remembered to look for the chocolate this time, but didn't see any. On both occasions I shopped in Sainsburys because it was the most convenient place at the time, no other reason. And for what? To sell chocolate bars. Clearly not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kath Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 Actually, it's delicious Roger Agreed. Roger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b3rn Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 Top modern curmudgeon speaks http://gu.com/p/43t2k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 Hazel Only a friendly suggestion - but it may help if you mention which of the earlier 298 posts is the load of twaddle. John 293 of them. I contributed 5 so they're excluded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 Top modern curmudgeon speaks http://gu.com/p/43t2k That man is a complete pillock. Over-rated (mostly by himself and TV Producers) to the nth degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petroc Posted 24 November , 2014 Share Posted 24 November , 2014 Good grief...love this Forum as I do, and notwithstanding some decent and relevant posts on this thread, I do wonder about some of the 'too much time on their hands' stuff. I thought chatrooms were a thing of the past... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b3rn Posted 25 November , 2014 Share Posted 25 November , 2014 How WWI service men and women are remembered one hundred years later is of interest, and threads like these provide many and varied responses. Goal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b3rn Posted 25 November , 2014 Share Posted 25 November , 2014 Here's the Gogglebox view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLy7jiyHldQ&feature=youtu.be&t=29m40s From 29min 40sec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoppage Drill Posted 25 November , 2014 Share Posted 25 November , 2014 No point in arguing the rights or wrongs of the advert - nobody will be persuaded away from their position - but the chocolate is absolutely flying off the shelves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Kerr1 Posted 25 November , 2014 Share Posted 25 November , 2014 Hazel ..... it may help if you mention which of the earlier 298 posts is the load of twaddle. Johnl I thought the use of the T word got you sent to the naughty step. It did on the emails I was shown on the Somme this year. What I was told is true then! Interesting. As for the advert I agree with the author of the "T". J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_sole Posted 25 November , 2014 Share Posted 25 November , 2014 Here's the Gogglebox view I saw this by accident. People with virtually no knowledge of the Great War getting very excited and emotional about it, even if it's via the medium of TV advertising. That's got to be a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 25 November , 2014 Admin Share Posted 25 November , 2014 Announced the chocolate 'back in stock' this pm in my local Sainsbury - for those who missed out! Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pighills Posted 25 November , 2014 Share Posted 25 November , 2014 Thanks for the heads up, Ken. My lovely husband went out at 10.45 pm because I read your post, he was able to purchase a few I shall be putting a bar away with each of my poppies. The others are to be consumed. , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 25 November , 2014 Admin Share Posted 25 November , 2014 yum! Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazelclark Posted 25 November , 2014 Share Posted 25 November , 2014 Thanks for the heads up, Ken. My lovely husband went out at 10.45 pm because I read your post, he was able to purchase a few I shall be putting a bar away with each of my poppies. The others are to be consumed. , I'm jealous! H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterhogg Posted 26 November , 2014 Share Posted 26 November , 2014 i actually had a hankering for some nice chocolate, then i watched a few minutes of "goggle box" above. Lost my appetite. Wow…. It's like you can almost smell the feet…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 26 November , 2014 Share Posted 26 November , 2014 Why stop at chocolate, let's all buy everything from wonderful Sainsbury's Click Has the Forum collected its money from Sainsbury's yet, for running this tremendous advert for their lovely lovely company? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts