A brand name like Aunt Bessie’s asks for an old-fashioned “heartwarming” commercial. So Grey London has played all the traditional, emotive cards in its story for the Birds Eye UK brand about a grandma’s Sunday roasts – but it has added a surprise. Yes, the emotional tug is a tad overdone but only the hardest cynics could fail to be caught up in its message.

The TVC, directed by Tom Green, is in fact inspired by a true story – that of June, the much-loved nan of creative director Chris Clarke. June was certified blind at 16 and yet cared for her entire family, always providing a stand-out Sunday roast without missing a beat.

The story underlines the brand’s new positioning and tagline, Caring is the Hardest Thing We do. The brief for the campaign was simple, Grey notes – to “get more Aunt Bessie’s food onto the dinner plates of the nation, driving growth across the entire roast dinner category”.

Both agency and client were passionate about delivering a truly authentic film and retaining the integrity of what was so special about Chris’s nan.  For this reason, Julie Bennett, a genuinely blind grandma, with no prior acting experience, was cast in the lead role. Julie spent just half a day on set familiarising herself with it before the shoot itself.

The TVC is running nationally in the UK.

Chris Clarke commented, “We all know someone who cares, no matter what. For me, it was my Nanna June. A legend in every sense of the word. This platform celebrates her, and all those other wonderful people who simply can’t help but care. Those people who bring the family together every Sunday, with roast beef and Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshires.”

Sarah Koppens, marketing director at Birds Eye UK, added, “We had a sense of how special this story was from the moment Chris and Matt presented it in mid-February. Given everything that has happened since that time, the sentiment captured within the ad couldn’t be more relevant. Caring for others is a fundamental way in which we connect and demonstrate our love – but that’s not to say it’s always easy to do. We were thrilled that Tom (Green) wanted to work with us, celebrating the human truth in the story and doing such a beautiful of shining a light on it.”

Credits

Creative Agency: Grey London

Creative Chairman: Javier Campopiano

Chief Creative Officer: Laura Jordan Bambach

Creative Directors: Matt Moreland & Chris Clarke

Copywriters: Chris Clarke, Matt Moreland & Jesse Little

Art Director: Chris Clarke

Strategic Planners: Bhavin Pabari, Daniel Sherrard & Gilliam Caldwell-Dunn

Business Lead: Agi Varanyi

Business Director: Charlotte Coughlan

Account Director: Natasha Thomas

Account Manager: Harriet Giles

Agency Production: Hogarth Worldwide

Agency Producer: Eira Ellis 7 Greg Smyth

Production Company: Stink Films

Production Company Producer: Molly Pope

Director: Tom Green

DOP:  James Laxton

Production Design: Catrin Meredydd

Offline Producer: Noreen Khan

Editor:  James Forbes-Robertson

Colourist: Ben Rogers

Post Producer: Claire Lifford

VFX Artist:  Owen Maiden

Composer: Samuel Karl Bohn

Music Supervisor: Jeremy Newton

Artist Management: Hummingbird Music

Lead Sound Engineer: Zak Kurtha

Post Sound Producer: Claire Lifford

Client: Aunt Bessie’s (Nomad Foods)

Marketing Director UK: Sarah Koppens

Head of Brand: Sam Dolan