the Sainsbury’s ad

The things there are no questions about: it’s beautifully made, affecting, gloriously shot and rather moving.

The thing there is definitely a question about: should a large corporation use a commemoration of World War One to sell Christmas pudding etc.?

The YouTube commenters generally say yes.

The Guardian says no.

But fuck them. The important thing is: what do I think?

Well, it’s not the first time Sainsbury’s has exploited celebrated British soldiers to sell mince pies (check out 3:04 here), and I did in fact express a degree of queasiness last year. So in the interests of being consistent and not hypocritical, I still feel a bit uncomfortable at the ‘use’ of that moment in WW1 to make some more money for a giant corporation.

Does the money for the Royal Legion mitigate things? Or is it just a way of Sainsbury’s deflecting possible negative opinions? In the end the old soldiers get some cash, but it’s a small fraction of what Sainsbury’s will make from running this ad. It’s almost as if they know they’ve jumped on the back of something a lot of people care about and feel a bit apologetic. Or a giant company that has responsibility to its unhappy shareholders is just really lovely. One of the two.

I dunno…

This stirs up so much shit in my head I might as well be on a bag of ketamine: WW1 exploitation; lovely, lovely Christmas; it might have been done by friends of mine; I’m writing this in a hotel room in Bangkok; should we even celebrate what soldiers did in wars?; I now love sticky rice and mango; corporate greed in 2014; PLAY THE PIPES OF PEEEEEEEEAAAAAACCCCEEEEEEE; what’s that lady doing with that ping pong ball?

I’m going to bed.