Waitrose has apologised after a moment shown its new Christmas advert sparked a backlash from viewers and charities.
The supermarket said that it was "sorry for the upset caused" after its new Christmas advert depicted two farmers comparing sun tan lines on their arms while out working in the fields. Some accused Waitrose of 'glorifying' sun tans and failing to highlight the dangers of exposure to the sun, including an increased risk of developing the skin cancer melanoma.
The charity Melanoma UK called out the retailer for the advert, saying on Twitter: "Many organisations have used examples of tanning in their advertising. Unless they are doing this responsibly and warning of the dangers of overexposure to the sun, then they need to stop it."
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Many viewers were also quick to criticise the advert on Waitrose's Facebook page. One person wrote in the comments section of the video: "Melanoma cancer is a big issue with farming and farmers, so possibly showing farmers comparing suntans isn't the best idea."
Another person who said a close family member had died of melanoma over the festive period said: "I find the whole idea of comparing tans backdated and massively insensitive."
One viewer who has melanoma themselves wrote: "It is a lovely advert, but please, please, don’t glorify a tan. As a melanoma patient the part about the tans is really traumatic to see."
Another Waitrose customer said: "As someone that has melanoma, I find it absolutely astonishing that a company like yourselves should be showing farmers glorifying in their suntans. This is a kick in the teeth for all melanoma patients and for all the organisations trying to educate everyone into the dangers of suntans. What on earth were you thinking to include this in a Christmas advert. Words fail me."
Others branded the advert "ridiculous", "very upsetting" and "seriously misguided".
Waitrose replied to the comments: "We absolutely support sun safety and sell suncare products across our stores. The farmers featured are real suppliers, and the images are based on real-life stories reflective of their daily work - including this farmer and his sun tan."
A Waitrose spokesperson added: "We fully support sun safety and worked with a medic on set throughout the filming. They made sure everyone wore high factor sun protection, and gave advice to help our farmers stay safe, so we're sorry for the upset caused."
Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, and causes more than 2,300 deaths every year with 16,000 new cases diagnosed annually. NHS advice says that people can reduce their chances of developing the cancer by avoiding getting sunburned, using sunscreen and "dressing sensibly" while out in the sun.
Skin cancer in the UK has become much more common in recent years according to the NHS, thought to be caused by people being exposed to the sun while abroad. The most common sign of melanoma is the appearance of a new mole or a chance in an existing mole - you can find more information on the NHS website.
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