The ad shows Santa being worked on while wearing an oxygen mask. Photo / Supplied
The ad shows Santa being worked on while wearing an oxygen mask. Photo / Supplied
A charity supporting the UK's National Health Service has released a heartwarming Christmas ad showing a sick Santa Claus being nursed back to health - but some critics have slammed the ad for "traumatising children" amid claims the clip shows Santa battling Covid.
The charity behind the ad has backed it and blamed media coverage for inflaming the criticism.
The ad, titled "The Gift", shows an elderly man with a white beard being treated by medics wearing full PPE, before waking on a ward, connected to oxygen tubes.
The ad shows Santa being worked on while wearing an oxygen mask. Photo / Supplied
The ad then shows mask-wearing hospital staff nursing the man back to health, moving from a wheelchair to a walker and eventually leaving the hospital.
He is shown responding to letters addressed "to Santa" as a nurse notes "someone's popular".
The man bears a striking resemblance to St Nick. Photo / Supplied
The final scene shows one of his carers receiving a Christmas present with a card that read: "Thank you for everything you've done for all of us," signed by "Santa".
The true identity of her mystery then becomes clear.
The ad is designed to celebrate NHS workers who have spent 2020 battling Covid-19.
The actions of NHS staff have won nationwide acclaim in the UK with the country gathering together earlier this year to "Clap for Carers" every week, with ordinary citizens giving the workers a round of applause.
But some in the UK have taken issue with the advert, claiming it suggests it shows Santa battling Covid-19 and it could have a "traumatising" effect on children.
Others have praised the clip, saying it reminded Brits to think about frontline health workers at Christmas.
Spoiler alert- The NHS have now hijacked Santa & given him Covid to raise money for their charity. Someone thought this was a good idea. Guaranteed to scare the hell out of little ones if they watch it. Disgusting idea that targets the fears of the very young. Massive own goal. https://t.co/WdfAmae3Vo
I don’t mean to be thick but what exactly is so wrong with this ad?!It’s not saying Santa isn’t real he’s just in hospital and sending good wishes to those in the NHS who have been treating him and deserve it. What is wrong with that?
Loving this heartwarming ad by the UK's NHS. It reminds us all to think about the frontline workers spending this holiday season battling the pandemic and its repercussions. https://t.co/GVvsPThlB6
Brett Nurse, who works as Santa at Christmas, told The Daily Telegraph he couldn't understand why people would let children believe Santa could get sick.
"Our angle on it has been that Santa would say because of his magic and wisdom he would be protected from Covid and would be at no risk to it, so children can still expect Christmas to go ahead as normal.
"We thought that's a much more positive message given that the whole story is a fantasy. Why you would make Santa a victim of Covid is beyond me.
"I feel like people are looking for reasons to make this Christmas worse rather than better - it's bonkers," Nurse said.
The ad has divided public opinion in the UK. Photo / Supplied
In a statement, NHS Charities Together said their intention had been to support frontline workers and that much of the criticism had been "generated" by negative media coverage.
"We created our Christmas campaign to highlight the ongoing commitment and hard work of NHS staff and volunteers to keep us safe and well in what has been and continues to be a really challenging time for the NHS.
"When we launched the ad earlier in the week, we had an overwhelmingly positive response to it. Some subsequent media coverage of it has generated criticism of the ad on social media and some people have expressed their concern about it upsetting children.
"The ad has been made to engage charity supporters and those who may want to buy products that generate donations to the appeal. It isn't aimed at children and hasn't been shown on TV.
But the charity did acknowledge that children may have been affected by the ad, saying: "We are sorry to the parents of any young children who have been upset by watching the ad and to the young children themselves, they were not the intended audience for it."
