Elliott raises concerns over SF Christmas cards
Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott has noted that the Christmas Cards on sale on the Sinn Fein website appear to be a manipulation of a Coca-cola image that includes the famous Coca-cola Santa Claus image so often seen on television.
Mr Elliott said: “At this time of the year Coca-cola adverts are amongst the most watched on television and visible on billboards in the United Kingdom. The vast majority of people instantly recognise the famous image of the Santa Claus with a bottle of Coca-cola close by. It is associated by everyone with happy emotions such as ‘joy’ and ‘surprise’. So for Sinn Fein to so openly manipulate this image simply to promote political idealism just isn’t on. I wonder what Coca-cola think about this abuse of their famous image?”
The Sinn Fein Christmas cards show Santa Claus in a green outfit instead of red and what appears to be copy of the 1916 Easter Rising Proclamation above the fireplace. Furthermore, the original Coca-cola message that Santa Claus is reading in a letter on the fireplace is changed from “Dear Santa, Please pause here” to “Dear Santa, Please free my country.” Mr Elliott calls on Sinn Fein to remove the Christmas card and allow the image to retain its decency.
The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA went on to say: “This famous image of the Coca-cola Santa Claus is for everyone. What Sinn Fein have done is changed it to ‘tar’ the image for anybody outside of themselves that has the misfortune to see it. I call upon them to remove it from their website and allow the image to retain the feelings of the ‘magic of Christmas’ and festivity that it is intended to be associated with. I will be getting in contact with Coca-cola to notify them of the manipulation of the image. It will be up to them if any action is taken.
“I know that Santa Claus will have seen Sinn Fein’s actions and I would suggest that for their simple cheek they deserve nothing but Coal. One thing is for sure, they won’t be getting a United Ireland.”