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A group of major UK supermarkets have come together to take a stand against the racist backlash online that followed Sainsbury’s Christmas advertisement with a black family.
Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Iceland, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose ran their ads one after the other during two prime time slots on Channel 4 on Friday night, with the hashtag #Counterracism. Typically, competitors actively avoid running their ads close together.
A Channel 4 ad ushered in the ad break, saying: “Channel 4 opposes racism. After the reaction to this year’s Sainsbury’s Christmas commercial, retailers have put aside their usual holiday rivalries in two commercials tonight to join us as well. “
The full version of the Sainsbury’s ad was also aired, which was met with racist abuse on social media when it aired earlier this month. It shows a father and daughter talking on the phone about hope for Christmas, interspersed with flashbacks of Christmases past, as the father brags that he makes the best salsa.
Rachel Eyre, Sainsbury’s Director of Brand Communications and Creativity, said: “We strive to be an inclusive retailer and we are proud to partner with our industry colleagues to fight racism. We are passionate about reflecting modern Britain and celebrating the diversity of the communities we serve, from our advertising to the products we sell. “
A Co-op ad featuring a black woman was also the target of racist comments online, leading the brand to cheep: “We have had some racist comments about our TV ad. Online communities should not receive these views, nor should society, and we definitely do not welcome buyers who think it is okay to post racist tweets. “
The executive director of the cooperative, Steve Murrells, said: “We will not stand aside when we see that racism is taking place, we will speak out and act against it. It is clear to me that we must be anti-racist in everything we do and we will work to eliminate the individual, institutional and systemic racial inequalities that currently exist. We are proud to stand in solidarity with our colleagues. “
Verica Djurdjevic, Channel 4’s Chief Revenue Officer, said: “As an anti-racist organization, we are incredibly proud to join Sainsbury’s and our anti-racism retail partners, using our national platform to report the unacceptable reaction to Sainsbury’s Propaganda Christmas.”
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