# Contentious Christmas Marketing The 'Merry XXXmas' Campaign from Ann Summers Provokes Backlash By Katherinev123 | Published 2009-12-09 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/merry-xxxmas-campaign References: [neogaf](http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=381724) & [annsummers](http://annsummers.com) The [Church of England](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fried-chicken-ornament) is infuriated by the ‘Merry XXXmas’ Campaign from retailer Ann Summers. The shop’s naughty Christmas campaign, which also includes another slogan, “Have a horny Christmas,” appears on the brand’s 138 store windows. Not surprisingly, the Merry XXXmas campaign was branded by the Church’s Religious leaders as “insensitive and crass” and “offensive to Christians.” Both are justified statements since many retailers (and people) do forget that to many, Christmas isn’t at all a commercial holiday, but a sacred time of the year. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.8/10 - Popularity: 58% | Activity: 49% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Religious](https://www.trendhunter.com/religious) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Controversial Christmas Marketing:** Exploring unconventional and provocative strategies for holiday marketing campaigns. - **Religious Sensitivities:** Understanding and respecting the religious beliefs and values of consumers in marketing initiatives. - **Balancing Commercialism and Tradition:** Navigating the delicate balance between commercialization and the sacredness of holidays in advertising. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Retail:** Identifying opportunities for retailers to create attention-grabbing and unconventional holiday marketing campaigns. - **Advertising:** Developing strategies that strike a balance between pushing boundaries and respecting the values of different religious groups in advertising campaigns. - **Religion and Spirituality:** Exploring ways to address religious sensitivities and values in marketing without compromising on creativity and brand messaging. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Christmasy Customer-Rewarding Retailer Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/one-stop-2025-christmas-campaign.md) - [Whimsical Candle Christmas Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/make-it-more-magical-campaign.md) - [Christmas Retail Delivery Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/debenhams-delivered-campaign.md) - [Festive Value-Minded Retail Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/big-deal-of-christmas-campaign.md) - [Rewritten Christmas Song Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hijacking-christmas.md) - [Expansive Festive Candy Ranges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/2024-christmas-collection.md) - [Charitable Coal Shops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-christmas-coal-shop.md) - [Fanciful Festive Candy Ranges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hancocks-christmas-range.md) - [Boldly Humorous Holiday Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/its-not-the-thought-that-counts.md)