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Philip Banks · Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:34 am Post subject: I have nothing to say about this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM

glittlefield · Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 6:51 am Post subject:

Me, either, but it's getting a bit dusty in here.
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todd ellis · Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:36 am Post subject:

ditto.
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chrisvoco · Club 300 Joined: 14 Mar 2014 Posts: 380 Location: Local

Now, *that* is mission-critical viewing for everyone.
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Bailey · Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:10 pm Post subject:

I've heard the story about this "event", but seeing the video adaptation was great. The making of the video is also quite good.
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Jen Gosnell · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 12:24 am Post subject:

That's well done!

It's a great story. I first learned about it a few years ago when I met a friend who had done many of the arrangements for a music drama on the subject, called All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914. It features letters/diary excerpts written by the servicemen, and songs of the time. I noticed that someone has uploaded the recording of the original production which includes the letter excerpts. It's well worth a listen - and if you like it, a CD order. This is some fine singing and dramatization.

Or, if you're interested and near Vancouver, BC, there's a live production of it this year for a few days before Christmas.
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Monk · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 9:23 am Post subject:

One of the pastors I worked with, Bert Marshall, had this whole holiday sermon called "Christmas in the Trenches" that retells this story.

A very moving piece for the holiday season of peace.
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Fran McClellan · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 2:35 pm Post subject:

Beautiful
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Foog · Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 2:35 pm Post subject:

I'm probably going to get pilloried for saying this, but I think using the anniversary of an event that reaffirms my faith in humanity as a platform to sell groceries, well... it diminishes my faith in humanity. Regardless of how well produced the ad is, it's still an ad. This sort of thing is horribly cynical and shows an appalling lack of respect.
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Philip Banks · Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 3:26 pm Post subject:

This ad is part of Sainsbury's work with the Royal British Legion with whom they worked to produce the ad it helps their veterans today and will do so tomorrow.

Foog · Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 5:40 pm Post subject:

I understand that Philip, it's just that I find that the generosity and humanity of the entire project is somewhat tainted when the bean counters and PR weasels have calculated to the seventh decimal place how to optimally milk the whole thing for branding. Granted, it's just a matter of opinion, but I feel there are some things that corporations should just keep their hands off.

What does it say about us as a society when instead of collectively taking care of those who were willing to sacrifice their lives for their country, we give them short shrift and expect a grocery chain to take up the slack? And should we really be comfortable with having the grocers take on the imagery and emotive impact of such singularly powerful historic events to sell biscuits and chocolate? It ain't pathos, it's bathos.

And it's not just the corporations either. Here in Canada, the government has increased funding for commemoration and advertising of veteran affairs, while decreasing the funding that goes to actually help the veterans. Many stories along the same lines have come out of the U.S., and I bet similar tales of optics-over-substance play out across the pond as well.
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Bruce · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 6:08 am Post subject:

Sorry Andrew, I'll have to disagree. Not one biscuit or chocolate was advertised during that commercial, in fact it's sad they had to call it an ad at all, but I guess technically it is because they'll have to buy air time to show it. It looks like the ad as it will appear on TV has nothing but the company name as a graphic at the end, nothing else. That's not milking.

In our culture, in these times, many think the retelling of an event that shows the conflict of man's humanity versus inhumanity during armed conflict a worthy project. That piece I'm sure cost several millions to film. Who's going to fund that kind of thing with zero recognition for their efforts? Without corporate sponsorship things like this might never run, and our public television programming without corporate sponsorship? What crap that would be.

Lastly, American law, and I'll bet British law too, requires that in every commercial the name of the sponsoring company is voiced or displayed so they had no choice anyway.

Your cynicism about their "cynicism" seems terribly overblown. There must be better causes out there.

B
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Foog · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 9:54 am Post subject:

Bruce, they are selling special editions of the chocolates shown in the ad. And granted, a portion of the sales price is going to the Legion, but as the resident cynic on this one I'm compelled to point out that only 50p from each sale is going to the charity. A cynic might say that the real impetus behind it is branding, image, goodwill, etc.

Again though, it isn't the actual amounts involved that troubles me. It's the fact that as a society we treat our veterans so shabbily and then cheer when a company creates this ad, after no-doubt intensive focus studies and trend projection accounting of intangible assets, and it's supposed to make us feel better about ourselves. I can't do it. I don't think we deserve to feel so great about how we treat our veterans, and I sure as sunshine don't think Sainsbury's deserves to be reaping the benefits of all that misplaced warm and fuzzy.
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Philip Banks · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 4:34 pm Post subject:

It is a great piece of film making, a superb story well told. I'm delighted this little piece of history has been kept alive. My father was disappointed that the chosen game was football so he shared some pipe tobacco with the German officers and bored them stiff about how Cricket was played. F***ing lucky they didn't shoot him after 5 mins, must've been the rum.

Should Mr Sainsbury sell 12 more boxes of mince pies this year as a result of his altruism, lovely.

Lee Gordon · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 5:56 pm Post subject:

Hang on a minute! So your father was one of the soldiers who participated in this legendary Christmas truce?
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