LONDON: Marks & Spencer’s recent Christmas campaign, titled “Love Thismas, Not Thatmas,” has ignited a storm of controversy and outrage due to an image that many have interpreted as a depiction of the Palestinian flag being burned.
The now-deleted Instagram post featured the message: “This Christmas, do only what you love… like saying no to paper hats,” accompanied by an image of paper hats engulfed in flames in a fireplace.
Critics quickly drew a connection between the colors of the burning paper hats and the Palestinian flag, accusing the brand of conveying support for genocide through subtle symbolism.
The situation escalated when Marks & Spencer apparently disabled comments on the post before eventually removing it altogether. Many believed that the deliberate choice of colors in the image was not coincidental.
In response to this controversy, consumers are rallying for a boycott of the brand under the hashtag #boycottmarksandspencer. The incident underscores the importance of sensitivity and careful messaging in marketing campaigns, particularly when dealing with potentially sensitive topics or symbols.
