Littlewoods Advert?

Amara

"My lovely mother" Where are dads in this advert? Sounds like everything on Chrismas is because of mum, dad doesn't count or what?

System

I agree with what's been said, I didn't initially think about the 'no Santa' aspect of it, it was the no reference to 'lovely father' that did it for me. I was going to work out how much the items cost ( sorry if this has been mentioned already on thread) but someone mentioned on youtube ad comments that it was well over 2K ... expect to see lots of "lovely mothers" on MSE next year if they buy that lot.

Very sad to see children in this ad, they too have been exploited imo, they also were young enough to believe that Santa bought at least some of the presents. I am glad I was young when I was!

mmmsnow

I think Littlewoods have completely missed the mark. I saw this ad on 4OD and had to watch it twice - I couldn't believe the pressure this puts on mothers, both financial and emotional! I won't be using Littlewoods in the future.

TudorRose

I hate this advert.

All it does is exploit people who think that children will only have a good Christmas if they are showered with expensive gifts.

Too many people will fall for this and when they have paid off this years order, they will be ordering again for Christmas 2012.

throughtherain

This advert quite literally makes me feel physically sick. It's abhorrent to attempt to emotionally blackmail mothers into buying ANY product for their children, let alone expensive Christmas gifts. They are also suggesting that the people they are marketing too cannot actually afford these gifts, as they are specfically saying "don't worry that you can't afford it, buy it now and pay for it later". Imagine the horrors people could be storing up getting into this sort of debt.

Not only that, it takes away every single feeling of joy associated with buying Christmas gifts, implying that only expensive, high-tech gifts are worthy of a good mother.

I hadn't thought about the 'ruining the illusion of Santa' argument - thanks to the earlier poster for pointing that out.

I agree also with the poster who said that adults just do not spend that sort of money on gifts for each other.

It is also so sickeningly stereotypical portaying an image that Christmas is left to mothers and fathers are excluded from this process.

This advert should be pulled without question, it makes me sad to think of the damage it is doing to mothers and children.

For info, I am not a guilty-feeling mother, I am a 25-year-old childless man, and so I know the advert is not aimed at me, but I loathe everything about this advert. I cannot remember one which made me feel quite as angry as this.

[Deleted User]

Well said all, keep the thread going strong please :-)

nzseries1

I think given the amount of negative feedback on Littlewood's Facebook wall, and the fact they're replying personally to each one, they might be getting the message! http://www.facebook.com/littlewoods?sk=wall&filter=1

[Deleted User]

Im glad they are aware, I was of the impression that the FB page was more to do with the Santa problem?

boogiemaster

One Christmas my life flashed before my eyes because I bought my wife a kitchen appliance, now I ask her what she wants because I don't have life insurance.

gailey_2

I joined the fb group lots people complained to asa but they think ads fine

http://missanielablog.com/christmas-adverts-2011

this is good blog compares littlewoods to jl ad.

wish martin would get behind it as seems just us ordinary folk not making a difference.

Things I hate about it

no daddy?
no santa?
the gifts are far too much
encouraging debts I currently have very account im paying off with 44%interest:eek: