PayPal accused of 'ruining Christmas' with this advert
The festive advert aired during "The X Factor" on Sunday night – and folks weren't pleased
We're barely in November and already the first Christmas TV adverts have been aired. Hold on you lot, we haven't even had Bonfire Night yet!
But it wasn't the premature festiveness that narked viewers of The X Factor on ITV on Sunday night. Instead viewers fumed that an advert for PayPal had "ruined Christmas" for their little ones.
The advert features two young boys who are worried that their Christmas has been cancelled and they won't be getting any presents. But rather than worrying about their position on Santa's 'Naughty or Nice List', the brothers were anxious because they hadn't seen their parents bring any big bags of shopping home – suggesting that Father Christmas isn't real, and it's the parents that really buy the presents.
Meanwhile, the parents in the ad have done their shopping online, using PayPal to pay. Critics of the ad are upset that it suggests Santa plays no part.
A spokesperson for PayPal said: "We are sorry that some people have been upset by our new UK Christmas TV advert. Our ad aims to take a fun look at those Christmas presents kids know come from their parents, and not in any way say Father Christmas doesn’t also deliver presents to them. We want every child to experience the magic of Christmas.
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"However, we have listened to our customers’ feedback. We’re making arrangements that as soon as TV channels will allow, our commercial will run only after 9pm, the 'watershed' after which it is assumed that younger children will not be watching TV."
Have a watch of the advert below in full (when the kids aren't around!) and let us know what you think. Does it ruin the magic?
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