Co-op's new festive themed ad causes anger
Last weekend was a glorious one. A right scorcher. Because of the weather, like most of the nation (apart from those complaining that it was too hot) I was in a fairly good mood. That was until I heard Andy Williams' festive tune It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year blasting out from my television. I know Christmas seems to come earlier each year but this is July?
Just as summer finally arrives, someone has to remind us Christmas is round the corner (165 days at the time of writing to be exact). A time when everyone is skint and it's not, well, summer. Who could be responsible for this heinous act? The answer? The Co-op.
The ad, from Leo Burnett London, features the usual clichéd summer BBQ imagery - friends arriving clutching a bottle of booze, children playing in the garden and sausages sizzling. But the ad has something different - the theme of Christmas - from the excitement of a child waking in the morning to making snow angels in a sand pit, all to the soundtrack of Williams' Christmas hit. Why? Is this irony at its lowest level?
The campaign has even taken a backlash from Co-op staff, who have criticised it on the company's Facebook and Twitter pages. One comment on Facebook reads: "I hate it. Totally confused why a CHRISTMAS song is being used?!" Another disgruntled viewer wrote: "Which advertising agency are you using? I'd like to write to them about this."
To top all this, shoppers have even vented their spleen after the song has been played in Co-op stores. However one good thing about it is that - like any great ad - it has got people talking, even if it's a right old moan.
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