A 10-second commercial recommends that instead of going to the pub where it is “hard to see the screen” during EURO 2024, people “stay in with two pizzas and four beers” that were purchased as part of a deal.
The Campaign for Pubs accused the supermarket of “openly and deliberately undermining pubs and publicans’ livelihoods” in a letter to Shirine Khoury-Haq, the chief executive of Co-op.
The statement continued, expressing “disgust and deep anger” over the advertisement’s targeting of pubs during a challenging period for the business.
In 2023, about 800 bars declared bankruptcy, which was a record high for more than ten years.
The letter said as follows: “As a purportedly ethical firm, you and your management team must be aware of how tough this time is for publicans and pubs, but here you are, openly and purposefully damaging their livelihoods at this trying time. It’s simply unbelievable.
Businesses in England ought to be banding together to support the national football team right now, but instead the Co-op has cynically and shamelessly tried to target another significant business sector in an attempt to increase your own profits from the tournament.
