Guest Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 This is a free country : buy the chocolate! Or make another donation or both or neither. ...and it's a free country because.? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lummox Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 Sainsbury's make a profit and embrace commercialism? Well I'll be damned! How frightfully awful of them. Well, I'll probably carry on shopping at Sainsbury's, watching TV and be one of those awful sorts who quite liked the commercial. I'll probably even be a devil and buy some of Sainsbury's chocolate bars and Christmas cards to support the RBL, who in their own words ' ...provide practical, emotional and financial support to all members of the British Armed Forces past and present, and their families.' All year round. The Royal British Legion's page about Sainsbury's advert: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/about-us/news/remembrance/sainsburys-and-the-legion-partner-to-bring-ww1-christmas-truce-story-to-life Quoted from the above page "Marking 20 years of support" (so not really jumping on any bandwagon then) "The campaign is the latest expression of Sainsbury's 20 year relationship with The Royal British Legion. Sainsbury's is one of the biggest supporters of the Legion and waits until after Armistice Day to launch its annual Christmas campaign so that stores can remain focused on raising funds for the Poppy Appeal. In 2013 alone, Sainsbury's raised around £4.5m for the charity through colleague, supplier and customer fundraising and an exclusive range of poppy products. This Christmas Sainsbury's will be doing even more to raise funds beyond the Poppy Appeal, including: Selling the WW1 chocolate bar featured in the ad in Sainsbury's stores for £1, with all profits donated to the Legion. The limited edition 100g Taste the Difference Belgian Milk Chocolate bar is manufactured in Ypres, Belgium, and features the same period packaging seen in the ad. The Legion will be one of Sainsbury's charity Christmas card partners" Bad, bad Sainsbury's. Well done to all involved I say here here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 ...and it's a free country because.? Mike I think that's well understood by members of this Forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 I'm not a Sainsbury shareholder, but if I were I wouldn't be worried about these critical articles. The debate has led to the brand name being much publicised, very few of the store's customers would have read the articles, The reason they might be concerned is that the fact that on both sides of the spectrum, people have written negative articles. That means that there is at least a chance they have got it wrong. If it was clearly a left-wing anti-capitalist rant there wouldn't be so much to be concerned about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 I think that's well understood by members of this Forum. Of course it is. It was directed more at those who commissioned the advert. Cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 The comment that marketing and pr people are just like 'us' is fatuous. I spent much of my career after journalism in both fields (fortunately in house for a very ethical non profit organisation)and later taught marketing. In my experience broadly marketing people are not just like 'us'. ...Let me assure you for many organisations, companies and others, ethics are an added extra - nice if you can get it. Its really just about abut flogging the product by any means - legal or otherwise and retaining the business if they are an agency. Thank you, David. Taking the ethics issue and the frequently-made point that "it's all for charity so it must be good" to an extreme, I can think of at least one individual, now dead, whose works for charity were amazing but whose personal principles were shocking. Does that make his charitable efforts all fine, dandy and untainted? I think not. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathrynWhite Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 I think the important thing in the advert is that it's got people talking and thinking about the First World War out of the context of Remembrance Sunday/Armistice Day. Of course this is self-promotion for Sainsbury's but I don't see another way for there to be such a direct way to provoke thought on the centenary at Christmas than through an advert like this, confronting the mass population in their living rooms. Pretty much the only way for that to happen is with a strong corporate backer (like Sainsbury's). I read in the Telegraph comments a very good metaphor for how Sainsbury's were producing this advert, following the 'German invasion' of Lidl and Aldi. I disagreed with the commenter's view, but appreciated that comparison. (Cheeky plug for the blog post I wrote yesterday when there was so much debate on Twitter: http://tinyurl.com/christmasisforsharing .) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 It isn't a supermarket's job to educate the public. They are a grocer. Interesting. The DM is headlining, "Complaints flood in over Sainsbury's Christmas in the trenches advert: Viewers' anger over use of WWI to promote supermarket" reporting that ,"The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has received 137 complaints over Sainsbury's latest Christmas advert since Wednesday night - with the majority objecting to the use of WWI imagery to promote the company." Kathryn - your link doesn't work, I'm afraid. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathrynWhite Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 It isn't a supermarket's job to educate the public. They are a grocer. Kathryn - your link doesn't work, I'm afraid. Gwyn It's not their job, but is there anything wrong with them doing that? I wouldn't see it as education necessarily, just prompting WW1 back into our consciousness. The link should now work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoppage Drill Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 Interesting. The DM is headlining, "Complaints flood in over Sainsbury's Christmas in the trenches advert: Viewers' anger over use of WWI to promote supermarket" reporting that ,"The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has received 137 complaints over Sainsbury's latest Christmas advert since Wednesday night - with the majority objecting to the use of WWI imagery to promote the company." Gwyn Wouldn't be surprised if a lot of those complaints originated - covertly - from other supermarkets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 14 November , 2014 Author Share Posted 14 November , 2014 Ooooh. It appears I can lock this thread.... and I have never felt so tempted to do anything in my life..... Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 Ooooh. It appears I can lock this thread.... and I have never felt so tempted to do anything in my life..... Steve. Can we re-open it at Christmas? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 Of course it is. It was directed more at those who commissioned the advert. Cheers Mike I think it is clear that the makers of the advert had their heart in the right place. As to the commisioner's motivations who can tell - but dodgy folk like the Medici and Borgias made great things happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 Thank you, David. Taking the ethics issue and the frequently-made point that "it's all for charity so it must be good" to an extreme, I can think of at least one individual, now dead, whose works for charity were amazing but whose personal principles were shocking. Does that make his charitable efforts all fine, dandy and untainted? I think not. Gwyn Conflating (even indirectly) Sainsbury's little effort with the UK's champion serial paedophile is absolutely ridiculous. Why not go the whole hog and use Hitler's charity work with Winterhilfswerk etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_sole Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 What could I do to raise money for RBL that would not be condoned I wonder? As long as it raises a penny, does that make it OK? I could sell a car for £10,000 and make a £1 donation to the RBL..does that make it right? Between this ridiculous extreme and Sainsbury's where exactly is the line? Giving a penny or a pound from the sale of anything would be "right". The RBL is a penny or a pound better of than it would otherwise have been. Isn't that a good thing? Why should there be a line at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 "Store under fire over new blockbuster seasonal advert based on famous 1914 football truce in the WW1 trenches" says a Daily Mail headline. Elsewhere, in news comments columns, there is talk of boycotts. Where does Sir Geoffrey come in? Has his old granny been batting for England again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 Ooooh. It appears I can lock this thread.... and I have never felt so tempted to do anything in my life..... Steve. If it continues in Skindles mode I hope you will... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 I think it is clear that the makers of the advert had their heart in the right place. As to the commisioner's motivations who can tell - but dodgy folk like the Medici and Borgias made great things happen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNo8ld7ak8w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyhound Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 The comment that marketing and pr people are just like 'us' is fatuous. I spent much of my career after journalism in both fields (fortunately in house for a very ethical non profit organisation)and later taught marketing. In my experience broadly marketing people are not just like 'us'. In one advertising campaign - which I managed to get killed, making myself very unpopular with the marketeers - the marketing men, with the aid of an internationally known award winning Ad Agency wanted to compare the organisations training school to a "Concentration Camp". Let me assure you for many organisations, companies and others, ethics are an added extra - nice if you can get it. Its really just about abut flogging the product by any means - legal or otherwise and retaining the business if they are an agency. My comment was not "fatuous" in the least. I am sad to see that this community is still full of the same self-righteous pompous windbags. I wish I hadn't bothered to look in here again. I won't be hurrying back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNo8ld7ak8w Thanks Steven. Magnicent. It must have been lurking at the back of what I call my mind. Can I now claim to be the Forum's Orson Welles - only in girth I fear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 I am sad to see that this community is still full of the same self-righteous pompous windbags. Like the old News of the World - all human life is here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_sole Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 Thank you, David. Taking the ethics issue and the frequently-made point that "it's all for charity so it must be good" to an extreme, I can think of at least one individual, now dead, whose works for charity were amazing but whose personal principles were shocking. Does that make his charitable efforts all fine, dandy and untainted? I think not. Gwyn Why do you think not? Provided the money raised and donated was not from the proceeds of crime - at what point does the morality of a charity funraiser have an effect on the money raised? Should charities only accept money from nice people and not from nasty people? If so, then who gets to judge whether a person is nasty or nice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 I don't think anything has yet been said - on this Forum anyway - how the original Christmas ideal has been hi-jacked by consumerism and excess in which most of us participate. What does Christmas mean to many people today? The ad does reflect a brief moment when the spirit of goodwill to all men was recalled and practised. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 The ad does reflect a brief moment when the spirit of goodwill to all men was recalled and practised. Yes, and therein, since Sainsbury's created it, is the irony and the source of much of the possibly ill thought through resentment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 14 November , 2014 Share Posted 14 November , 2014 Ooooh. It appears I can lock this thread.... and I have never felt so tempted to do anything in my life..... Steve. Steve, This has been a great Thread, it made us aware of an interesting and moving short film, which will raise millions of pounds for a great charity. It also produced some interesting comments, which is to be expected. So again, thanks for sharing. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts