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Beautiful WWI-themed Christmas Ad Reenacts Truce of 1914


Hanibal94

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This is the best Christmas commercial I have ever seen - too good not to share, especially because it features friendship.

 

 

A new Christmas television ad inspired by real events from 100 years ago has touched the hearts of ten million viewers on YouTube and many more watching in the UK.

 
Sainsbury’s, the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, partnered with The Royal British Legion to portray the extraordinary events of Christmas Day, 1914, when the guns fell silent and two armies met in no-man’s land, after voices rang out singing Silent Night.
 
Commemorating the truce’s 100-year anniversary, the ad features the football match that some witnesses say took place between British and German forces during the two-day truce called by commanders along some sections of the front lines on December 24.
Soldiers also widely exchanged gifts, whatever they had — small tools, cigarettes, chocolate, schnapps — and sang Auld Lang Syne before returning to their foxholes.
 
The chocolate bar seen in the ad is raising funds for military families at Sainsbury’s, with all profits (50p per bar) going to The Royal British Legion to benefit Great Britain’s armed forces and veterans.

 

Edited by Hanibal94
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@@Hanibal94,

 

I absolutely love this video. Just goes to show that war isn't just black and white, good vs. evil.

 

I think the Germans and the American forces did the exact same thing at Christmas during the Battle of the Bulge. 

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Yes the commercial was amazing and it really does interest you how these 2 sides stopped killing each other and came out and shook hands and gave a more Christmas spirit with kindness and also friendship.

The problem is that this is only a story it actually hasn't been proven for all we know they may have stopped firing because a charge was going to start but it got delayed.

However the uniforms are accurate and the cockades on the german hat (feldmutze) is correct.

Edited by NeutralNoob
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What fascinates me most about the Christmas Truce is that it set the tone for the changing face of warfare in the 20th century.

 

World War 1 was caused by a political clusterfuck, and as a result, none of the soldiers, at least initially, could find any real reason to hate one another. Many of the participating soldiers were actually punished for their actions by their superiors, because the politicians tried to paint the war as a battle against evil that it simply wasn't. It was 19th century politics and tactics being put out to pasture by the new 20th century world. The truce was a sign that the barbarism of the old world was (almost) behind us, and was even prophetic when you consider the widespread anti-war movements later in the century.

 

Thank you, Sainsbury's, for reminding us of this often overlooked, but nonetheless critical piece of our history. The day when thousands of soldiers came together and laid the first brick in the world that we are all hoping to build.

 

Merry Thanksgiving, you stupid early birds! :D

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This is an absolutely beautiful piece. I've been interested in the Christmas Truce since the Nostalgia Critic recommended Joyeux Noel. It sounded like such a great film which I have unfortunately not gotten the chance to see yet because of its complete lack of airtime on US television and my lack of resources for a streaming subscription or a DVD.

 

There is so much heart and warmth in this commercial, and it really captures what this event was all about. How could two cultures with so much in common be pitted against each other on minimal pretenses? How could they go right back into killing each other right after they just got to know each other? What is the war really all about?

 

This ad was the subject of a controversy as some feel that a serious event like WWI should not be commercialized, but I encourage looking at the big picture here. This is a beautiful, heartfelt piece, more like a short film sponsored by Sainsbury's than a blatant commercial for them. It brings more attention to this event which happened a hundred years ago to many who may not yet know about it, and Sainsbury's support of veterans just adds to the warmth and sincerity on display here.

 

This is the kind of ad made with care, and one that makes you think. It's a welcome 180 from the standard lowest-common-denominator, intelligence-insulting ads that are trying to be edgy and/or memorable with lowbrow humor, sex appeal, and/or non-sequitur. It's unfortunately because of the association of commercialism with that kind of crassness that people are getting the wrong impression about this ad. It's refreshing and gives hope when we can see the commercial interests give back and put out their best stuff every once in a while, after all Rudolph would not have existed if not for Montgomery Ward, and A Charlie Brown Christmas if not for Coca-Cola.

 

I'm glad this ad exists. It's an ad that really makes you think about life while feeling warm and wholesome at the same time, and displays the triumph of warmth and sincerity in a cold, dark, and unjust world. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, @Hanibal94.

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Yes the commercial was amazing and it really does interest you how these 2 sides stopped killing each other and came out and shook hands and gave a more Christmas spirit with kindness and also friendship.

The problem is that this is only a story it actually hasn't been proven for all we know they may have stopped firing because a charge was going to start but it got delayed.

However the uniforms are accurate and the cockades on the german hat (feldmutze) is correct.

 

The Christmas Truce is a documented event that did happen on the Western Front, While it didn't happen on the entire front lines, it did happen.

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It really is a great advert :)

I mean, I can't remember waht it was actually for so it's not effective, but it's a heart warming story

 

The ad is for chocolate... I think. Sainsbury's is a British supermarket company.

Edited by Hanibal94
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The ad is for chocolate... I think. Sainsbury's is a British supermarket company.

 

Yeah, it's Sainsbury's. But it's still not effective as an Advertisement for a chain.. It's memorable, nut all you remember is "Chocolate,w ar, heart warming, christmas" :3

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