Objectors claim the supermarket, which is supporting the Royal British Legion, is being distasteful with its Christmas campaign
Hundreds of complaints have been made to the advertising watchdog over Sainsbury’s World War I inspired Christmas advert.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has received 240 complaints about the feature (above) which was made in partnership with the Royal British Legion.
It focuses on the famous truce between British and German soldiers on Christmas Day 1914 where soldiers met in no man's land and held an impromptu game of football.
One hundred years on from the 1914 Christmas truce, the campaign remembers the fallen, while helping to raise vital funds to support the future of living
In the ad, a British soldier is seen giving his German counterpart a bar of chocolate and the tagline reads “Christmas is for sharing”.
Cynics say Sainsbury’s use of imagery from the war for commercial gain is distasteful while others have described the three-minute clip as a work of art.
Complaints have also been made that it is not clear the feature is an advert from the beginning.
The Royal British Legion, which has been one of the supermarket’s charity partners for 20 years, is to benefit from sales of the chocolate bar featured in the advert, sales of which have apparently rocketed to 5,000 an hour.
The charity pointed out the advert is an “interpretation of historical events” and it would be up to Sainsbury’s to answer any complaints.
Charles Byrne, director of fundraising for the Royal British Legion, said: "We're very proud of our 20-year partnership with Sainsbury's and this campaign is particularly important.
“One hundred years on from the 1914 Christmas truce, the campaign remembers the fallen, while helping to raise vital funds to support the future of living.”
Mark Given, head of brand communications at Sainsbury's, said: "This year, we wanted to reflect that theme of sharing in our Christmas campaign through the lens of one of the most extraordinary moments of sharing in modern history when, on Christmas Day 1914, British and German soldiers laid down their arms, and came together on neutral territory to share stories, mementoes and even a game of football.
“The Christmas truce is an especially poignant story from First World War that has been recreated on a number of occasions and we know it resonates with many of our customers and colleagues. We’ve partnered with The Royal British Legion to ensure we tell this story with authenticity and respect and we hope it will help keep alive the memory of the fallen that made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their country.
"It is also a way for us to mark the 20th anniversary of our partnership with The Royal British Legion and to help us raise additional funds for them."
ASA has yet to announce whether it will follow up the complaints with an investigation.
