Check out the ad above, from Tesco, a supermarket in the U.K.
Some of the response has been less-than-cheery:
Tis’ almost the season to be jolly. But UK grocery giant Tesco is facing an angry online backlash for their new Christmas advert because it features a Muslim family.
Part of a festive campaign to raise money for charity, the “Turkey, Every Which Way” advert is aimed at promoting inclusion during the holiday period. It shows a number of British families as they prepare for the not always straight-forward task of cooking a traditional Christmas dinner.
“We want our customers to know that however they choose to do Christmas, and no matter what they need, we can help – everyone’s welcome at Tesco,” the company’s CEO Alessandra Bellini said at the advert’s release last week.
But the message appears to have gone over the heads of some people, with a flurry of angry online comments aimed at the supermarket chain.
For some, it seems that Muslim people featuring in a Christmas advert just isn’t a realistic enough depiction of a holiday that also sees a large, bearded man from the North Pole deliver presents to every good child in the world.
“Everyone is welcome at Tesco this Christmas and we’re proud to celebrate the many ways our customers come together over the festive season,” said the supermarket in an official statement.
“We want our customers to know that however they choose to do Christmas, and no matter what they need, we can help – Everyone’s Welcome at Tesco.”
The supermarket also said that it “will celebrate the many ways we come together at Christmas, and how food sits at the heart of it all”.
