Santa Claus is to set up a new HQ and manufacturing base in Ireland.
At least, that is the latest announcement from Irish government agencies which specialise in attracting new investment.
Invest Ireland are hoping to entice businesses into the country with a video aimed at children that says Santa Clause is coming to town.
They have worked alongside Ireland’s Industrial Development Agency (IDA) to create the campaign which includes the video of a spoof news report.
The breaking story in the clip is that ‘International gift delivery mogul Father Christmas’ will be arriving at an undisclosed Irish location and bringing his magical workshop operation with him.
The chief elf of ‘Santa Corp’ goes on to list the benefits of bringing the business to Ireland. These include the abundance of green field space which is perfect for reindeer and for building a workshop.
Ireland’s position as a data hub was also said to be perfect for creating Santa’s naughty and nice lists.
They go on to say that Santa’s elves would be perfectly placed to form business links with the ‘indigenous leprechaun community’.
The news anchor says it is a sign that the country is continuing to attract the biggest and best companies in the world.
The IDA says the purpose of the spoof video news announcement is to bring attention the great investment opportunities available for foreign companies.
However, not everyone in Ireland is pleased with the video. Many Irish citizens have taken to the comment boards to make their feelings known.
One person posted: “I found this piece very offensive and can’t believe money was spent on a production like this”
Another said: “With the employment market as dire as it currently is, someone else deserves a crack at the IDA marketing job…”
There was a general feeling of embarrassment about the video on various website’s comments sections. One person summed up the mood by saying: “Whoever approved this project should be ashamed of themselves, so misguided.”
See the video below
