Pity John Lewis cannot think of a more Christian way of spending £7m at Christmas - and I'm an agnostic. I am also not much into anthropomorphism.
Last year JL teamed up with Age Concern and encouraged people to donate to a good cause.
Each of their stores (including Waitrose) donates £3,000 to local causes every three months.
If they didn't drive people to their stores they wouldn't be able to do that.
And they can't drive people to their stores without having a marketing budget.
It's easy to be cynical, but I don't begrudge John Lewis for their morals and values.
Since they have less than 400 stores that means a charitable contribution of c£4.8m a year which is rather less than the cost of the advert even if we assume that all the charitable giving will dry up without the advert. This of course pales into insignificance given all the debt laden misery caused by annual festival of over indulgence encouraged by the retail industry. Those who shop at Waitrose and the other supermarkets will soon be noticing how they will use the opportunity presented by what is meant to be a religious festival to put up their prices and fatten their margins in the run up to Christmas. The Church of Kerching I'm afraid, the only difference with John Lewis's being that the profits go to the senior management and employees.
Pity John Lewis cannot think of a more Christian way of spending £7m at Christmas - and I'm an agnostic. I am also not much into anthropomorphism.
Last year JL teamed up with Age Concern and encouraged people to donate to a good cause.
Each of their stores (including Waitrose) donates £3,000 to local causes every three months.
If they didn't drive people to their stores they wouldn't be able to do that.
And they can't drive people to their stores without having a marketing budget.
It's easy to be cynical, but I don't begrudge John Lewis for their morals and values.
Since they have less than 400 stores that means a charitable contribution of c£4.8m a year which is rather less than the cost of the advert even if we assume that all the charitable giving will dry up without the advert. This of course pales into insignificance given all the debt laden misery caused by annual festival of over indulgence encouraged by the retail industry. Those who shop at Waitrose and the other supermarkets will soon be noticing how they will use the opportunity presented by what is meant to be a religious festival to put up their prices and fatten their margins in the run up to Christmas. The Church of Kerching I'm afraid, the only difference with John Lewis's being that the profits go to the senior management and employees.
Cynical rant over!
Too much moaning, too much religion, too much bah humbug over yuletide.
Let the people eat too much, drunk to much (as long as they aren't driving) and spend their money how they want.
Let them go to Church, mosque, Temple, pub, football, go for a walk, or stay at home and don't pretend anyone is stopping you or banning Xmas.
And call it "Xmas". It's not PC taking Christ out of Christmas, the Victorians used "Xmas" and "seasons greetings". X is Greek for Christos and was used as a symbol for Jesus from the very early days of Christianity.
Businesses exist to make profit. If they pay their taxes and give something back then all well and good.
All the whinging and scrooge like comments dressed up as complaints about PC, capitalism, poor people wasting their money or Christianity being usurped (it's the other way round) are tedious enough in December and it's only 12 November.
Live, love, laugh and be happy and have a happy Christmas, whatever that means to you.
Pity John Lewis cannot think of a more Christian way of spending £7m at Christmas - and I'm an agnostic. I am also not much into anthropomorphism.
Last year JL teamed up with Age Concern and encouraged people to donate to a good cause.
Each of their stores (including Waitrose) donates £3,000 to local causes every three months.
If they didn't drive people to their stores they wouldn't be able to do that.
And they can't drive people to their stores without having a marketing budget.
It's easy to be cynical, but I don't begrudge John Lewis for their morals and values.
Since they have less than 400 stores that means a charitable contribution of c£4.8m a year which is rather less than the cost of the advert even if we assume that all the charitable giving will dry up without the advert. This of course pales into insignificance given all the debt laden misery caused by annual festival of over indulgence encouraged by the retail industry. Those who shop at Waitrose and the other supermarkets will soon be noticing how they will use the opportunity presented by what is meant to be a religious festival to put up their prices and fatten their margins in the run up to Christmas. The Church of Kerching I'm afraid, the only difference with John Lewis's being that the profits go to the senior management and employees.
Cynical rant over!
Too much moaning, too much religion, too much bah humbug over yuletide.
Let the people eat too much, drunk to much (as long as they aren't driving) and spend their money how they want.
Let them go to Church, mosque, Temple, pub, football, go for a walk, or stay at home and don't pretend anyone is stopping you or banning Xmas.
And call it "Xmas". It's not PC taking Christmas out of Christmas, the Victorians used "Xmas" and "seasons greetings". X is Greek for Christos and was used as a symbol for Jesus from the very early days of Christianity.
Businesses exist to make profit. If they pay their taxes and give something back then all well and good.
All the whinging and scrooge like comments dressed up as complaints about PC, capitalism or Christianity being usurped (it's the other way round) are tedious enough in December and it's only 12 November.
Live, love, laugh and be happy and have a happy Christmas, whatever that means to you.
You're in danger of taking me too seriously especially since it is only 12 November - I genuinely think most people would enjoy Xmas a lot more if it started a bit later - say 24 December.
Let it start when you want it to start, no one's making you do anything Christmas related until 24/12 if you don't want to. Ignore the ads like you do the rest of the year.
Wasn't just aimed at you just the boring, Ill informed and killjoy whinging that happens every year.
Remember Scrooge was allowed to get to Xmas Eve rather than the12th November before Christmas was irretrievably ruined for him. Moaning about Christmas is part of the tradition and long may it be so.
Let it start when you want it to start, no one's making you do anything Christmas related until 24/12 if you don't want to. Ignore the ads like you do the rest of the year.
Wasn't just aimed at you just the boring, Ill informed and killjoy whinging that happens every year.
Now 'm offended - no problems with being a boring, killjoy whinger, but I am a well informed one.
Pity John Lewis cannot think of a more Christian way of spending £7m at Christmas - and I'm an agnostic. I am also not much into anthropomorphism.
Last year JL teamed up with Age Concern and encouraged people to donate to a good cause.
Each of their stores (including Waitrose) donates £3,000 to local causes every three months.
If they didn't drive people to their stores they wouldn't be able to do that.
And they can't drive people to their stores without having a marketing budget.
It's easy to be cynical, but I don't begrudge John Lewis for their morals and values.
Since they have less than 400 stores that means a charitable contribution of c£4.8m a year which is rather less than the cost of the advert even if we assume that all the charitable giving will dry up without the advert. This of course pales into insignificance given all the debt laden misery caused by annual festival of over indulgence encouraged by the retail industry. Those who shop at Waitrose and the other supermarkets will soon be noticing how they will use the opportunity presented by what is meant to be a religious festival to put up their prices and fatten their margins in the run up to Christmas. The Church of Kerching I'm afraid, the only difference with John Lewis's being that the profits go to the senior management and employees.
Pity John Lewis cannot think of a more Christian way of spending £7m at Christmas - and I'm an agnostic. I am also not much into anthropomorphism.
Last year JL teamed up with Age Concern and encouraged people to donate to a good cause.
Each of their stores (including Waitrose) donates £3,000 to local causes every three months.
If they didn't drive people to their stores they wouldn't be able to do that.
And they can't drive people to their stores without having a marketing budget.
It's easy to be cynical, but I don't begrudge John Lewis for their morals and values.
Since they have less than 400 stores that means a charitable contribution of c£4.8m a year which is rather less than the cost of the advert even if we assume that all the charitable giving will dry up without the advert. This of course pales into insignificance given all the debt laden misery caused by annual festival of over indulgence encouraged by the retail industry. Those who shop at Waitrose and the other supermarkets will soon be noticing how they will use the opportunity presented by what is meant to be a religious festival to put up their prices and fatten their margins in the run up to Christmas. The Church of Kerching I'm afraid, the only difference with John Lewis's being that the profits go to the senior management and employees.
Cynical rant over!
Yes I do especially after the rubbish served up on Sky - as extra punishment I now have to go and watch one of my daughters in a ballet performance!
Comments
@colthe3rd couldn't be more spot on about saying "I hate that this is a thing"
Still, it beats the gocompare adverts I guess,
Cynical rant over!
ScoogeofKent.
Too much moaning, too much religion, too much bah humbug over yuletide.
Let the people eat too much, drunk to much (as long as they aren't driving) and spend their money how they want.
Let them go to Church, mosque, Temple, pub, football, go for a walk, or stay at home and don't pretend anyone is stopping you or banning Xmas.
And call it "Xmas". It's not PC taking Christ out of Christmas, the Victorians used "Xmas" and "seasons greetings". X is Greek for Christos and was used as a symbol for Jesus from the very early days of Christianity.
Businesses exist to make profit. If they pay their taxes and give something back then all well and good.
All the whinging and scrooge like comments dressed up as complaints about PC, capitalism, poor people wasting their money or Christianity being usurped (it's the other way round) are tedious enough in December and it's only 12 November.
Live, love, laugh and be happy and have a happy Christmas, whatever that means to you.
Let it start when you want it to start, no one's making you do anything Christmas related until 24/12 if you don't want to. Ignore the ads like you do the rest of the year.
Wasn't just aimed at you just the boring, Ill informed and killjoy whinging that happens every year.
ScroogeofKent
The up and down theme would be much more appropriate in it.
I'm literally creaming my pants in anticipation!!