Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Iceland, Lidl, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose & Partners have teamed-up as part of an anti-racism campaign.
Channel 4 and the UK supermarket sector are standing together against racism in a show of unity across two entire prime time ad breaks on Friday 27 November.
Sainsbury’s recently launched the first in a collection of nostalgic Christmas adverts. The retailer said the advert “tells how a father and daughter’s excitement for Christmas gets them talking about Dad’s gravy and his ‘famous’ gravy song.” It features a black family which, according to Sainsbury’s, some people reacted to by posting “offensive and racist” comments on social media.
The exclusive ad break takeovers mark the first time the supermarkets have come together in this way and will air at around 8.15pm during Bake Off: An Extra Slice and at 10.15pm during The Last Leg, both featuring the 60 second version of Sainsbury’s’ ‘gravy song’ advert.
Ads from Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Iceland, Lidl, M&S, Tesco and Waitrose & Partners will be split across the two breaks, airing one after the other – something the supermarkets would usually actively avoid. The activity will carry the hashtag #StandAgainstRacism.
The bespoke Channel 4 introductions will explain to viewers that “Channel 4 stands up against racism. After the reaction to this year’s Sainsbury’s Christmas commercial, retailers have put their usual festive rivalries aside across two ad-breaks tonight to stand side by side with us too.”
The brands are also standing together on social media where the ad breaks will be published at the same time as the TV activity is broadcast on Friday evening.
Verica Djurdjevic, chief revenue officer, Channel 4 said: “As an anti-racist organisation we are incredibly proud to stand together with Sainsbury’s and our retail partners against racism, using our national platform to call out the unacceptable reaction to Sainsbury’s Christmas advert.”
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