Waitrose has changed part of its Christmas advert which showed two farmers comparing suntans after it was criticized by skin cancer patients.
The supermarket apologized last week after receiving backlash over its video on social media.
Critics said a section of the ad glorified sun tans and failed to emphasize the dangers of sunlight.
Waitrose told the BBC it would now use an “updated version of the ad to address those concerns”.
“While we included some light-hearted and ‘real life’ moments, we listened to the comments made about the sunscreen’s serious message,” said a spokesperson.
“Our advert celebrates the care and effort our partners and real farmers – who work in all weathers – put into making sure our customers have what they need this Christmas.”
The supermarket’s ad shows clips of farmers working year-round to make the holiday food products. In the portion now edited, a farmer was seen comparing his tan to that of another while they worked in the summer sun.
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One person, who has melanoma, commented on Waitrose’s Facebook post of the ad, saying she finds it “absolutely amazing that a company like yours should show farmers glorifying their tans”.
“This is a slap in the face to all melanoma patients and to all organizations trying to educate everyone about the dangers of tanning,” she added. “What on earth were you thinking putting that in a Christmas ad? I’m lost for words.”
Skin cancer charity Melanoma UK also criticized the ad, saying: “Waitrose can do better than that.”
Waitrose apologized after the backlash, saying it was “apologies for the uproar caused”.
- It is not the most common or the only type of skin cancer, but it is one of the most serious. If left untreated, it can spread to other organs in the body
- About 16,700 people are diagnosed with it each year
- Caused by abnormal skin cells growing out of control due to DNA damage. Intense UV exposure can trigger this damage
Source: NHS
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