The colour of hats in Christmas advert can causes offence

[Puddenchucker]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67294809

"M&S has apologised after being accused of posting an Instagram photo of Christmas party hats in the colours of the Palestinian flag on fire."

[Al Gorithum]

Definitely racist against Italians

[bitchstewie]

That is utterly bonkers.

[Boom78]

Im offended for wales, Mexico, Hungary and Bulgaria also.

Whole thing is crazy, it’s a bit of a leap to think they’re offending Palestine!

[C5_Steve]

I didn't see the ad before it was pulled, but knowing the reason it was pulled before seeing it made it jump out at me as soon as I saw it. Would I have thought that before someone told me why it was pulled? Doubt it.

Clearly wasn't created with that in mind but given current events and the media climate it makes sense to not make a stand and just pull it. It's not the only criticisms their xmas campaign has come in for after all.

[Biggy Stardust]

[motco]

Boom78 said:

Im offended for wales, Mexico, Hungary and Bulgaria also.

Whole thing is crazy, it’s a bit of a leap to think they’re offending Palestine!

The founders were Jews, perhaps that's the reasoning?

[Randy Winkman]

Biggy Stardust said:

Unless I'm mistaken, all that's happened is that one photo has been deleted from Instagram. Seems reasonable to me.

[bennno]

Randy Winkman said:

Unless I'm mistaken, all that's happened is that one photo has been deleted from Instagram. Seems reasonable to me.

No, look at Twitter.

The ad contained people melting santas grotto, burning Christmas hats, shredding decorations, burning Christmas cards, smashing a toy elve with a baseball bat. Renamed it from Christmas to Thismas. Standard non straight, non white family etc etc

But somebody then noticed the colours of the hats burned had started to offend a certain subset of the population, so they apologised.

At the same time many said it was entirely offensive to Christians but where is our apology - all round f*ck up in how not to do things.

[Eric Mc]

Al Gorithum said:

Definitely racist against Italians

If I was a Mexican I'd be upset too.

[bitchstewie]

Quite liking their advert

I know they still want you to buy their stuff but there's way too much pressure on people at Christmas without specific guilt trips if you can't afford their "these aren't just any" Pigs in Blankets or whatever.

[captain_cynic]

bennno said:

No, look at Twitter.

There's your problem.

Twitter is a cesspit and the opposite of tolerance.

This is straight out of the "how do you get publicity you can't even pay for, for free" playbook.

1. Create ad that easily passes OfCom censors.
2. Create social media "outrage" over something innocuous (originator likely works for the advertising firm).
3. Now everyone is talking about your client.
4. Client issues pre written apology admitting no guilt.
5. Ad is replaced with a different ad they just happened to have ready to go. Amazing they just happened to have one ready to go because there are no refunds on a media buy.
6 advertising firm profits.

Meanwhile everyone is talking about M&S... Especially those who get hot and bothered about "Woke".

[bitchstewie]

You think getting themselves on the front page of most news sites for apologising over the Christmas hats on the fire thing was some sort of deliberate plan?

Really?

[Biggy Stardust]

captain_cynic said:

Twitter is a cesspit and the opposite of tolerance.

100% right.

[Wills2]

Randy Winkman said:

Biggy Stardust said:

Unless I'm mistaken, all that's happened is that one photo has been deleted from Instagram. Seems reasonable to me.

Well at least we know who Dostoevsky was talking about when he mentioned imbeciles.

[captain_cynic]

bhstewie said:

You think getting themselves on the front page of most news sites for apologising over the Christmas hats on the fire thing was some sort of deliberate plan?

Really?

I know enough advertisers... Sorry, corporate communications experts.. to know it is.

Front page on every paper is coverage you literally can't buy.

Easy way to tell is of the m&s stop their ad campaign. If it gets replaced, it was planned. It takes weeks to make an TV ad of that complexity. Things like an ad for the American Superbowl can be started months in advance.

[bitchstewie]

But they haven't stopped or changed it have they?

They've pulled one Instagram post with a still in it that was taken from some ad footage.

It's not like they've said "oh here's a whole new advert" unless I've misunderstood.

[Biggy Stardust]

Wills2 said:

Well at least we know who Dostoevsky was talking about when he mentioned imbeciles.

Who's that, exactly?

[JuanCarlosFandango]

Is this just whipped up "offence" to get publicity?

[E63eeeeee...]

Biggy Stardust said:

Fake quote https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fyodor-dostoevsk... and obviously nonsense. Who's going to ban people from thinking ffs?