Sainsbury's Strikes a Festive Chord with Rick Astley in Employee-Driven Christmas Campaign
Sainsbury’s spreads holiday cheer with its employee-led Christmas campaign featuring pop icon Rick Astley, celebrating the spirit of its staff and customers
Sainsbury’s has launched its 2023 Christmas campaign featuring its own employees – and pop star Rick Astley – as it looks to ramp up authenticity.
In the ad, a girl playfully strays from her family and seizes the opportunity to use the in-store tannoy mic to pose a unique question to Santa Claus. This light-hearted moment brings relief to both the store's employees and shoppers. The question she asks is, "What does Santa eat for his Christmas dinner?"
Following this, the ad proceeds to feature various Sainsbury's employees and shoppers engaged in a lively debate about the question. These discussions are interspersed with captivating shots showcasing Sainsbury's Taste the Difference products, beautifully arranged in front of Santa himself. In one amusing moment, Rick Astley, who happens to be in the dairy aisle, suggests that Santa may enjoy some cheese. However, his suggestion is playfully dismissed by one employee, stating that cheese should come after pudding. Another employee chimes in with a line from Rick Astley's iconic song, "Never Gonna Give You Up."
Sainsbury's has made the decision to feature its actual employees in an advertisement for the first time. This was done through an internal casting process in order to give the advertisement a sense of authenticity. Additionally, this will be the first time that consumers will be introduced to Sainsbury's refreshed brand proposition, 'Good Food for All of Us'. The aim of this new proposition is to showcase the supermarket's diverse range of food options. The advertisement is set to premiere on Friday (3 November) at 8pm during the popular television show Coronation Street.
The emphasis on food is also reflected in the cut-outs that expand the campaign across various channels. In addition to the main TV spot produced by Sainsbury’s newly appointed advertising agency New Commercial Arts, there are also 20-second versions that highlight specific aspects of a Christmas dinner, such as party food, desserts, and affordable options.
According to Bisley, "The holiday season is a magical time of year, and our goal is to help our customers have an exceptional Christmas, especially when it comes to the food. We aimed to create an advertisement that celebrates our colleagues nationwide while also showcasing the innovation of this year's Taste the Different range."
Sainsbury's revealed its interim results yesterday, announcing that its emphasis on value and price matching has enabled it to regain market share from competitors Aldi and Lidl. During the six months ending on September 16, grocery sales increased by 10.1% compared to the previous year. The brand attributes this growth to an additional £118m investment in reducing prices.
