M&S ad ‘swear bear’ complaint dismissed

A social media stir around the suggestion that the Marks & Spencer Christmas ad features a villain swearing at Paddington bear has been resolved.

The ad does not include any swear words, the advertising watchdog found.

The retailer’s festive campaign features Paddington inadvertently saving Christmas for his neighbours, mistaking a bearded burglar in red for Santa and assisting him in returning stolen presents.

The ad caused uproar among viewers who thought they heard the burglar swear in his parting comment to the bear.

An M&S spokesman said it was “clear” that the words are “thank you, little bear”.

A spokesman for the Advertising Standards Authority, which received three complaints about the ad, said: “While we appreciated that some viewers may have misinterpreted this, the ad did not contain a swear word and therefore did not break the rules.

“There were no grounds for an investigation.”

Paddington foils a burglar he mistakes for Santa