According to the Independent, an TV advertisement which highlighted the plight of the flora and fauna in rainforests has been pulled down as it was deemed ‘too political’.
This Christmas advert has been banned from TV for being too political.
I think what’s happening to our rain forests should be banned for being criminal to life on earth.This needs to be the most viewed Christmas advert ever! Do your best Twitter! pic.twitter.com/c9YEbVyIuw— Dan Lewis (CWU NW Chair) (@Think_Become) November 9, 2018
The animated short film cum advertisement was a part of a Christmas campaign by Iceland Supermarket, a British supermarket chain based in Wales. It features an orangutan who is forced inside human society as its habitat gets destructed at the hands of palm oil harvesters.

Orangutans have been classified as critically endangered thanks to the habitat loss in palm oil producing countries like Malaysia.

The supermarket struck a deal with Greenpeace, an environmental organisation, to rebadge the animated short, pushing it to send out messages against deforestation. The supermarket also has decided to strike off every product that has palm oil in it off its shelves.

The sombre animation which is coupled with a distressful verse narrated in the background tells the tale of the unfortunate situations of the orangutans.

Clearcast, the body responsible for assessing ads before they go public stamped the festive ad to be breaching the 2003 Communications Act which does not allow political advertising.
Defending their position, Richard Walker, son of a front-leading environment campaigner, in an interview with The Guardian said,
We wanted [the Greenpeace film] to be our signature campaign. We have said repeatedly we are not anti-palm oil, we are anti-deforestation. We think this is a huge story that needs to be told.
However, the decision did not go down well with people on Twitter.
Really? Too political?? How about to accurate, too honest, too scary for the big companies that are destroying the planet and animals, that’s what it all boils down to is who has the most to lose and that’s the palm oil industry!
— necieozzz13 🌱🐾🌱🌲🐏🐖🐠🐄 (@denise_osborne) November 9, 2018
Still trying to find the political side of this ad. Think the folk who banned it need an education in what is political.
— johngunn (@johngunn2) November 9, 2018
Tell me about it. Trying to show people how their dietary choices are destroying the environment, and nobody wants to hear about it! Well. Some days I’m more optimistic than others.
— Siobhan (@Siobhan_Pyburn) November 9, 2018
Anything that tells the truth about the destruction of the planet is banned as being “too political”
— Ryan H (@ryhall93) November 9, 2018
Advertising standard I think for being too political
— Ruth Kirk (@trainman1958) November 9, 2018
I think this advert is so powerful and eye opening yet because it’s the truth they don’t want it on tv?? It’s disgusting that this is happening in the first place!
— Brianna (@black_menswearx) November 9, 2018
Humans, in recent years, have been responsible for massive animal extinctions across the world.
Do you think that the ad comes off as political?