Marks & Spencer has pulled its original home and clothing ad featuring popstar Sophie Ellis-Bextor following a furious online backlash amid pro-Israel accusations.
In the retailer’s initial 80-second clip, which was released earlier this month, a close-up of Ellis-Bextor is shown before she playfully sets fire to a set of ‘boring’ Christmas cards.
However, the close-up shot of Ellis-Bextor’s blue eyeshadow has been interpreted by some social media users as showing that Marks & Spencer supports Israel’s military intervention in the current Gaza conflict.
This latest controversy follows on an earlier incident in which a still from the M&S ad was used as a social media advert. Featuring burning paper hats in a fireplace – which were coincidentally in the colours of the Palestinian flag – the retailer’s post was accused of being overtly ‘pro-Palestine’, despite the ad being filmed over the summer, months before the latest conflict flared up.
Developed by London agency Mother, who recently took over the account from House 337, the 80-second hero spot has now been removed from YouTube and replaced by a cut-down 60-second version that only briefly shows Ellis-Bextor toasting marshmallows.
Original 80-second clip
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‘Love thismas (not thatmas)’ had been intended as an ode to creating new Christmas traditions and discarding tired, old ones and features a range of celebrity faces including Hannah Waddingham, Zawe Ashton and Tan France.
Commenting on the backlash, a Marks & Spencer spokesperson said: “Like with all of our Christmas campaigns, we have a series of different edits for TV and social that will play out until the Big Day – all featuring our fabulous line-up of talent, stylish clothing and plenty of Christmas magic.”
Censored 60-second edit
The Advertising Standards Authority confirmed that it had received 116 complaints about the Marks & Spencer ad for a wide range of reasons including “encouraging irresponsible behaviour” through Ellis-Bextor’s torching of the Christmas cards.
In a statement, the ASA said that it had “determined that [the] ad had not broken [its] rules and no additional investigation was warranted” as such, the regulator considers the matter “closed.”
