Tesco drivers have criticised the supermarket giant’s Christmas ad for showing “everything we are specifically forbidden from doing in one short clip”.
The advert stars Roisin Conaty as Tesco delivery driver Polly and Ludwig star Anna Maxwell Martin as her old school friend Lizzie, with Roisin helping her out when she makes a drastic mistake.
Despite the ad being designed to bring some festive cheer, some Tesco delivery drivers have reacted by saying ‘bah humbug’ and suggesting on Reddit that the behaviour of the delivery driver is a sackable offence.
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The advert follows Lizzie (Maxwell Martin) who accidentally orders her Christmas food shop to her old address hundreds of miles away from her new home.
Tesco delivery driver Polly (Conaty) comes to the rescue, telling Lizzie she will meet her half way to ensure her family don’t miss out on all their festive treats.
Then she even gives Lizzie a lift home when her car breaks down and the pair share quaint memories from their school days.
But real-life Tesco delivery drivers have taken to social media forum Reddit to highlight the litany of company breaches.
They include using a personal phone to contact a customer, not delivering to the listed address, giving a customer a lift in the passenger seat, and not wearing a high visibility vest while driving.
Several drivers were also concerned about the fate of Polly’s other deliveries, with one posting: “It cuts off before the part where you see the family who didn’t get their food order.”
Another added: “Did they accidentally ship the ‘this will get you sacked’ training video to marketing by mistake?”
“All acts individually would lead to the driver’s job being terminated for gross misconduct,” another suggested.
Roisin Conaty and Anna Maxwell Martin in the Tesco Christmas ad (Image: Tesco)
A Tesco spokesman said the ad “aimed to capture the magic of Christmas and employ a bit of creative licence to allow the storytelling to be as impactful as possible”.
He added: “In real life our delivery drivers play an essential part in helping the UK to get their all-important Christmas shopping and the safety of our colleagues and customers will always come first.
“We provide clear guidelines to all of our colleagues on how to fulfil their roles, and if a customer does need help with an online order our customer services team will be happy to help.”
Tesco has also confirmed the return of its Christmas markets across 164 stores, offering food and drink samples as part of its festive activity.
The supermarket’s pop-up markets launched on November 7 and will run until December 18 at selected Tesco Extra and Superstore locations, with stalls based in store car parks.
Abingdon Tesco Extra is off Marcham Road, while there is also a Tesco superstore at Cowley retail park.
Participating brands include Cadbury, Tassimo, Pepsi, Lurpak and McCain, giving shoppers the chance to sample products during the Christmas shopping period.
The activity also includes goodie bags, with shoppers reporting they received treats after buying two or more participating products.
Tesco is supporting the markets with an Instagram competition, inviting visitors to share photographs using #HelpingYouBecomeMoreChristmas for the chance to win a £250 gift card.
The markets’ return follows the launch of Tesco’s Christmas advertising campaign on November 1.
Created with BBH London, ‘The Wrong Address’ stars Roisin Conaty and Anna Maxwell Martin and centres on a Tesco delivery that reunites two old friends.
The wider campaign also includes the return of Santa’s Grotto at stores nationwide.
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