Sainsbury’s has launched its 2023 Christmas advert starring pop icon Rick Astley.
Created by Sainsbury’s newly appointed advertising agency, New Commercial Arts, the advert can be seen for the first time today (3 November), premiering at 8pm during Coronation Street.
This will be supported by a series of films that focus on party food, desserts and budget-friendly options.
The TV ad is set in a Sainsbury’s store, where a girl asks on the tannoy, “Hey Sainsbury’s, what does Santa eat for his Christmas dinner?”
Colleagues working in the store and delivering shopping can be seen offering suggestions of festive dishes including the Taste the Difference ‘charcuter-tree’ sharing platter, buttermilk turkey crown and No beef wellington.
In the store, Astley’s cameo sees him asking, “how about some cheese?”, while a colleague responds “C’mon Rick, cheese before pudding, you know the rules” and another sings “and so do I” in an all too familiar tune.
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Eventually, a birds-eye view of Santa’s Christmas feast can be seen, with an overlay of supermarket giant’s new brand promise ‘Good Food for All of Us’.
The advert marks the first time customers will see the new brand platform which aims to highlight how the retailer can provide a wide choice of food for every occasion.
Astley said: “For me, food plays such an important part during the holidays and we’re always looking to bring something exciting to the Christmas dinner table whether that’s a new starter or a surprise showstopping dessert.
“It was a real honour and so much fun to join the Sainsbury’s store team on the shoot – even if they did pull me up on my cheeseboard before dessert suggestion.”
Sainsbury’s head of campaigns, Emma Bisley, added: “We wanted to create an advert that champions our colleagues all over the country, as well as highlighting the innovation of this year’s Taste the Different range.
“From brand-new festive treats to offers on household Christmas favourites, Sainsbury’s has something for everyone’s table – whatever the budget or tastebuds.”
For the first time, real Sainsbury’s employees feature in the advert in a bid to emphasize the role its 152,000 colleages play at Christmas and all year round.
