New Sainsbury's WWI Christmas Commercial Is Dividing Opinion—But Is It Good, Bad, Or Meh?

A new Christmas commercial for UK supermarket Sainsbury's is rattling a few cages, along with charming those whose cages are free of any noise. It's set during World War I (this year is its centenary, duh) and features German and British soldiers in their trenches on Christmas eve singing along to the carol "Silent Night."

The next morning they wake up and hold a truce, sharing food and playing a game of soccer in reference to the famous Christmas truce between the two warring sides, which happened on the Western Front in 1914.

It's all done very nicely and tastefully and they consulted experts to get all the period details correct, but people have complained and are outraged because they see it as over sentimentalizing what was a brutal and vicious war.

Not only that, but lest we forget this is a commercial for a major supermarket chain designed to win people over so they'll go buy their turkey and Christmas fare from them rather than competitors.

It hasn't stopped it from getting nine million views in the five days it's been online though. Along with also receiving 240 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority in the first two days it was aired on British TV. People declared it "a crass attempt to exploit the war for commercial reasons."

Others found it a moving tribute.

So what is it: Tasteless money-making or fitting tribute? Or just a load of old whatever.