Christmas day is just a month away and the UK’s supermarkets have started to unveil their long-awaited festive adverts.
With TV screens set to be full of Christmas music, food and celebrations in the coming days and weeks, we round up their 2023 campaigns.
Sainsbury’s turns to Rick Astley
Sainsbury’s 2023 Christmas advert uses real Sainsbury’s employees for the first time, and is predominantly set inside one of the supermarket giant’s stores.
However, viewers also get a glimpse of Santa’s house as the advert looks to showcase ‘The Big Fella’s Christmas Dinner’.
It begins with a young girl asking, “Hey Sainsbury’s, what does Santa eat for his Christmas dinner?,” on the store’s tannoy, followed by colleagues offering suggestions of festive dishes including the Taste the Difference ‘charcuter-tree’ sharing platter, buttermilk turkey crown and No beef wellington.
Pop icon Rick Astley also makes a cameo 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 the tune of his hit ‘Never Going to Give You Up’.
The ad rounds up with a birds-eye view of Santa’s Sainsbury’s Christmas feast with an overlay of the new brand promise, ‘Good Food for All of Us.’
Asda makes Michael Bublé its ‘chief quality officer’.
On 4 November, Asda dropped its full-length Christmas advert starring Michael Bublé as its ‘chief quality officer’.
The TV ad sees the singer-songwriter tasked with ensuring the best quality of products this holiday season from selecting the perfect cheeseboard to sampling truffle and parmesan pigs in blankets.
The ad concludes with an Asda colleague calling out, “Off for the night are you?” to which Bublé responds he’s only just getting started as he joins retailers choir to sing ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland’.
Morrisons shines light on humble oven glove
Morrisons 2023 advert is centred around a pair of oven gloves that come to life singing a rendition of American rock band, Starship’s classic 1987 power ballad ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’, as the Christmas day meal is being prepared.
Morrisons chief customer officer and marketing officer, Rachel Eyre, described the oven glove as “the tuneful cheerleaders of the nation’s Christmas chefs,” as the ad looks to show support for festive hosts on the busy day.
Aldi takes inspiration from Willy Wonka
Aldi unveiled its advert today (6 November) which takes inspiration from Willy Wonka in ‘Kevin and the Christmas Factory’.
The ad begins with five lucky winners, including Kevin, Greedy Gluttonous Grape, Sulky Sour Rhubarb and Mischievous Kiwi, waiting to enter William Conker’s gravy-filled wonderland.
One by one, they fall at various hurdles until Kevin is the last of the fruit and veg standing, presented with the ‘cheese’ to the factory.
He then asks “can I share my good fortune with everyone,” before the ad closes with the message: “Seasonal goodwill was truly in the air as Christmas is a time that’s sweeter when you share.”
Lidl relies on brave raccoon to pull on heartstrings
Lidl has unveiled a heartwarming, John Lewis-style campaign that features a raccoon that is hellbent on returning a little boy’s cuddly toy to him.
After the boy accidently drops the toy that his mother bought him, the raccoon goes to great lengths to ensure he has the gift on Christmas day by climing road signs, riding the tube and sailing on a log across a river.
Eventually, the raccoon is able to place the toy under the boy’s Christmas tree, where the family can be seen celebrating and enjoing their meal.
The advert looks to remind viewers of the impact that small acts of kindness can have during the festive season.
Waitrose signs up Graham Norton
Waitrose debuted a houseparty-themed Christmas advert on 2 November during Emmerdale on ITV1, starring TV presenter Graham Norton.
The ad looks to showcase the relatable issues that people might face at a Christmas house party such as people turning up early, being locked in a bathroom, a visit from the police and a powercut.
However, each problem is quickly fixed by the sight of Christmas food, such as the upmarket retailer’s turkey, Shimmering Salmon Mousse and Florentine-inspired Panettone.
Norton makes his cameo mid-way through wearing a tuxedo and carrying The Golden Bûche de Noël cake before joining the rest of the guests.
The ad, which is soundtracked to Depeche Mode’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’, let’s viewers know that “when the food’s good, everything’s good.”
M&S Food gets Christmas sparkle from Hollywood stars
M&S Food debuted its Christmas advert on 2 November on ITV’s This Morning, with Dawn French reprising her role as the voice of the festive Fairy.
However, the other stars of the ad include Hollywood actors and Wrexham football club co-chairman Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Reynolds and McElhenney voice Left and Right, also known as ‘the Mittens’ who are found by Fairy in the snow after being accidentally dropped by their child owner, Lilly.
To cheer Left and Right up, Fairy shows them M&S’ range of Christmas products from mince pies and chocolate to turkey with all the trimmings.
1 Comment. Leave new
No wonder prices keep going up with the cost of using celebs and expensive Christmas ads – we have to pay for these, why use famous people, net they don’t even shop there!!
With everyone feeling the pinch these days surely they can do a nice ad without using expensive stars!!