It’s Christmas advert season and one in particular has ruffled the feathers of the Twittersphere. Boots’ yuletide offering is called “Make Magic” and features Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh playing a very organised Mrs Claus. It’s a classic of the genre with a twist: with hours to go before Christmas, Santa Claus is snoring in his chair, so his wife takes action. Elves run around Santa’s workshop, rebranded as “Mrs Claus’s werkshop”, gifts pile up on a sleigh, and there are lots of baubles, tinsel and glitter. Nothing completely out of the ordinary, except the advert has caused the hashtag #BoycottBoots to trend on X, formerly Twitter, since its release on Thursday.
The Boots Christmas ad.
— Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes_) November 8, 2024
The ad stars actress Adjoa Andoh, who famously described the white Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony as ‘terribly white’.
It references ‘they/them’ pronouns.
Uses woke TikTok ‘influencers’.
And naturally, Santa, as a white bloke, is a lazy bum. pic.twitter.com/bnuYk55qGy
Some are calling the advert too woke. GB News presenter Darren Grimes noted that at one point Andoh uses they/them pronouns when referring to one gift recipient, and that “naturally, Santa, as a white bloke, is a lazy bum”. Some of the elves are also played by trans social media influencers. The advert has provoked the ire of Right-wing nationalists, who take issue in particular with the casting of Andoh.
Last year Andoh appeared as a guest on ITV’s coverage of the King’s coronation and remarked on the contrast between the “rich diversity of the Abbey” for the service and the “terribly white balcony” at Buckingham Palace. The comment sparked over 8,000 complaints to Ofcom, who decided not to take action. Andoh clarified what she meant in an interview with Radio 4 the next 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.”
Nevertheless, the comment has become fuel for right-wing commentators on X to claim that the Boots advert is “un British”, with some insisting they will now only shop at Superdrug. The calls to boycott Boots have been met with derision from some circles, with boycotters being accused of “snowflake” hypocrisy. ‘Tis the season.
