A British supermarket chain has hit back at internet trolls who criticised it for featuring a black family in its latest Christmas advertisement, saying it aims to "represent a modern Britain".
Supermarket chain Sainsbury's released its first of three Christmas advertisements to Twitter on Saturday.
The minute-long ad, titled Gravy Song, features a heartwarming phone call between a father and daughter as they voice hope of spending Christmas together during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the top of the phone call plays home-video footage of family memories, including of the dad's famous gravy.
"Your gravy is good to be fair," the daughter says. "I just really want to be home for it."
But the advertisement has been attacked by some social media trolls for featuring a black family.
"This doesn't represent me, I don't see myself in this at all. I can't relate," one commenter wrote, according to The Independent.
"The UK is 80 per cent white. Do Sainsbury's not have data on who actually shops there?" another said.
A third replied: "Stopped shopping at Sainsbury ages ago. Go woke, go broke".
However other users have called out the comments, saying they would go out of their way to shop at the supermarket now.
"Who doesn't love the gravy song.... Can't wait to shop in Sainsbury's now all the racists won't be shopping there. Absolute heaven!" one person tweeted.
"I've just read through the replies and wanted to say bravo to whoever's running your social media accounts and having to spend their day replying to sad old racists throwing tantrums," another said.
"Well done Sainsbury's for making an ad with people who look like me. A loving father who embarrasses his daughter and claims kitchen genius because of one thing he makes well."
In a comment posted to Twitter, Sainsbury's said they are trying to be "the most inclusive retailer".
"That's why, throughout all our advertising we aim to represent a modern Britain, which has a diverse range of communities. We have three stories of three different families in our advertising."
The second advert, Perfect Portions, was released on Monday, in a campaign hoping to connect shoppers' love for food and Christmas.
Sainsbury's Emma Bisley said: "We know that this year has been different for everyone.
"It's our memories of these dishes, prepared by the people we love, that have the power to transport us home - whether we're there or not.
"We hope everyone enjoys watching the collection and it takes them back to their fondest memories of food, home and Christmas."
