M&S Christmas Advert

diystarter7

MalMonroe said:

I think you do have a point and I understand what you're saying. I don't think you're being a party pooper, just realistic. 

I tend not to watch the ads at all. They ARE mostly crass and sometimes it does seem as if the big retailers are being very insensitive. But there's not a lot we can do. 

On their website, if it's of any interest, M&S say -

"We believe M&S food is too good to go to waste. We work with Neighbourly to link our stores up with a network of more than 1,400 community partners who collect daily donations of surplus food. Donations include fresh fruit and vegetables, grocery items and bakery goods – in 2021/22 we donated 14.8  million meals to those in need."

I do think that many other retailers are also trying to help in similar ways. And maybe a cheery Christmas ad will make some of us smile, maybe it won't. If you are particularly aggrieved, you could always write to M&S and give them your point of view.

https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/sustainability/our-communities#:~:text=We work with Neighbourly to,meals to those in need.

Great post, good balance.

Pollycat

diystarter7 said:

Thank you OP. This posts reminds me of the thread I initiated the other day about the affordability of Xmas and those with least able to spend on presents that are not essential may get into bigger debts after the 25th Dec,

I was suggesting that all Xmas type adverts must come with a health warning like the drink/gambling/etc warnings  - and read something like 'Please only spend within you limits as Xmas is one day only and you have to think about the other 351 days...' or something like that.

Wasn't it pointed out that at least one of the campaigns didn't work as you still had to remind people to 'belt up'?

These are 2 threads from Praise, vent & warnings board discussing Christmas adverts in general:
UK XMAS adverts 2022 thread — MoneySavingExpert Forum
Christmas adverts - Page 3 — MoneySavingExpert Forum

If it's the M&S advert with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders I switch off mentally as soon as it comes on.

zagfles

People who can't afford food surely can't afford a TV, or the electricity to power it, or a TV licence. So they won't see the advert.

zagfles

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

I just found the ad to be so insensitive, especially following just contributing more cash to the Trussell Trust, who do an incredible job, but should really not be required in a first world nation in the 21st Century.

Which first world nation are M&S showing their Christmas advert in 😉

Maybe do a bit of travelling and see?

pendragon_arther

This isn't any advert, it's a patronising M&S advert.

pendragon_arther

LunaLater said:

I think that you are being very unreasonable. There are still many families who are not struggling, and who will be happily enjoying a nice Christmas. There is no reason at all to pander to those who are not doing so well.

Just you wait and see in a few more months...

maisie_cat

Advertising of things we don't need/cannot afford is part of life.
At least M&S has things that are affordable. I buy their loose tea because it's the best own brand and I'm fussy.
When I go to get tea and see all the lovely food I know it's not my budget but that's not the fault of M&S

Pollycat

I remember many years back - maybe 60 years - holiday adverts started appearing on TV on Boxing Day.
My parents couldn't afford any that were advertised, even Butlins.
Were we traumatised by these adverts depicting a life that we could never aspire to?
Did my parents go into debt to provide us with these holidays?
Of course not.
It was life.

When did personal responsibility stop being a 'thing'?
Most people accepted that there were some things they could afford and some things they couldn't.

MattMattMattUK

Davesquire said:

Am I alone in considering the M&S Christmas/Xmas (depending upon your view)  incredibly crass and insulting to a significant proportion of the population who are struggling financially at this point in the year. There is significant hardship being experienced by many families, so to be exposed to the excesses of high end retail is staggeringly insensitive.
Let alone the fact it is only November (yes, I concede that it is better than many previous years - I recall September, one year). BUT. It is not Christmas until the great man himself - Noddy - says so.
I just found the ad to be so insensitive, especially following just contributing more cash to the Trussell Trust, who do an incredible job, but should really not be required in a first world nation in the 21st Century.
Am I being a miserable party-pooper? Or should we really be seeing a change of heart from large retailers this year?

Yes, you are. Some people will always be better off than others, earn more than others etc. It does not mean that those people should not be marketed to.

I have had points in my life where I ate toast as my two meals a day for a week because that was all I could afford, I've worked 90-100 hours a week to get myself out of debt and balance my budget, I have also had years where I earned six figures for a few years before Covid. I do not and have never viewed it as crass/insensitive/insulting that high end products were advertised that I could not afford, even when my life was hard and somewhat bleak.

Manxman_in_exile

I'd hardly describe M&S as being typical of "the excesses of high end retail"(!).