Boots Christmas ad slammed as ‘woke monstrosity’ with shoppers vowing to boycott the brand.l
The festive ad is sweeping social media for all the wrong reasons – with unimpressed verdicts from customers saying they will refuse to visit.
Calls to boycott Boots are sweeping social media after its Christmas advert was slammed as a “woke monstrosity”.
Instead of spreading festive cheer, the health and beauty retailer has instead ruffled many feathers for its campaign featuring elves played by “woke” social media influencers and using gender-neutral pronouns such as “them”.
The advert, released on November 7, is named ‘Make Magic’ and features the Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh as Mrs Claus.
The video attempts to make a modern twist on the classic storyline of the last few hours before Christmas – however Santa Claus is seen to be sleeping in his chair with his wife taking the reins.
Elves are seen running around the rebranded “Mrs Claus’s werkshop”, as presents pile up on a sleigh.
Adjoa Andoh plays Mrs Claus in the new Boots Christmas ad (Image: Boots)
Outraged Brits have taken to the social media platform X claiming the advert is “un British”, insisting they will now only shop at the rival Superdrug. The hashtag #BoycottBoots has spread across the platform with people saying “go woke, go broke”.
One user posted: “44 days of boycotting Boots until Christmas,” with another adding “Again it’s all about diversity…
“Don’t worry boots, we’ll spend our money elsewhere this Xmas.”
A third furious person has said: “Boots hires Britain-hating actress to lead their Christmas TV Advert, the same woman who trashed the Royal Family for being ‘too white’ a couple of years back.”
Another X user echoes this saying: “The new Boots Christmas Ad is a woke monstrosity. Super Diversity seems to be the theme.”
The choice to cast Andoh has sparked further backlash following the actress’s appearance on ITV last year. Covering the King’s coronation, she commented on the “terribly white balcony” at Buckingham Palace in contrast to the “rich diversity of the Abbey”.
Outraged shoppers call to boycott Boots following its ‘woke’ ad (Image: Boots)
X users say they will switch to Superdrug (Image: Getty)
It ignited more than 8,000 Ofcom complaints and although the regulator decided to not take action, it left viewers and social media users furious.
In an attempt to rectify the situation, Andoh took to Radio 4 the following day: “I was talking about the day and how marvellous it was and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going: ‘Oh it’s so white’, because the day had been so mixed and I didn’t mean to upset anybody.”
A spokesperson at Boots told Express.co.uk: “We recognise that people look forward to seeing our Christmas advert each year and will have their own opinions on the creative direction.
“Our latest advert stars Adjoa Andoh, who is an incredibly talented British actor well known for her leading role in the popular show Bridgerton and multiple other hit productions.
“We always strive to create inclusive campaigns and remind viewers that Boots has a gift for every kind of beauty enthusiast. We firmly stand against discrimination of any kind.”
