Nearly 700,000 people sign petition backing call to show banned Iceland Christmas ad on TV

Deeside based supermarket chain Iceland has had its Christmas advert banned from our TV screens for being too political.

The advert has been watched 3.7 million times on YouTube and shared millions of times on social media since it was launched on November 8.

the ad highlights rainforest destruction caused by palm oil production and is dedicated to the 25 orangutans “we lose every day.”

The body that stopped the advert being broadcasted, Clearcast, say that the ad breaches its political rules.

A petition was launched on the website Change.org by Mark Topps from Chelmsford, so far it has been signed by nearly 700,000.

Have you seen @Clearcast banned @IcelandFoods #ChristmasAdvert for being political.. we think this is nonsense and the advert helps to spread a vital messages including #Deforestation. Please sign the petition by @_mark_topps and share https://t.co/FzKN2uXbG6 NoPalmOilChristmas

— Mark Topps (@_mark_topps) November 10, 2018

Following the banning of the advert Iceland said:

‘Retailer Christmas adverts have been the source of much anticipation in the weeks building up to the big day in recent years, with retailers blowing their advertising budgets to ensure their advert becomes the most talked about of the season.

For many consumers, the first screenings of the biggest adverts now herald the start of the festive build-up, a key milestone in the Christmas calendar.

However, this year, Iceland’s advert will not appear on TV alongside those of other leading retailers – as its anticipated advert hasn’t made it to our screens.

Following a year of leading the retail industry in sustainability initiatives, Iceland had elected to do something different with its advertising spend.

Earlier this year, Iceland committed to remove palm oil from all its own label food by the end of 2018 in response to continued deforestation in South East Asia.

As the retailer nears completion of the project, offering consumers the choice of an orangutan friendly Christmas, it had planned for a Christmas advert to raise awareness.

The retailer had hoped to use a short film, Rang-tan, as its main Christmas advert.

Rang-tan is an emotive animation telling the story of rainforest destruction caused by palm oil production, and its devastating impact on the critically endangered orangutan.

It was hoped that the advert would improve shoppers’ understanding of the widespread rainforest destruction for palm oil production, which appears in more than 50% of all supermarket products.

The advert would have seen Iceland committing over half a million pounds of media spend to ensure that it was seen by millions of consumers – a bold move away from the usual commercial, product-led advertising in order to highlight an important issue causing climate change and biodiversity loss.

However, this may have proven a brave step too far as the advert was banned by advertising regulators.’

Richard Walker, Managing Director at Iceland said:

“Throughout 2018 we have led the retail industry to take action in areas such as rainforest destruction for palm oil and plastic pollution of our oceans. This year we were keen to do something different with our much anticipated Christmas advert.

The culmination of our palm oil project is offering our customers the choice of an orangutan friendly Christmas, and we wanted to reflect this in our advertising.

“Whilst our advert sadly never made it to TV screens, we are hopeful that consumers will take to social media to view the film, which raises awareness of an important global issue.

Our commitment to help protect the home of orangutans remains extremely close to our hearts.

We are proud to be encouraging consumers to make more sustainable choices, even without the support of TV advertising, ahead of the Christmas shopping season.”