New Commercial Arts has given Christmas the most delightful start with a commercial for Sainsbury’s that borrows from both the captivating imagination of Roald Dahl’s famous childhood fantasy, BFG, and the powers of cinema-quality production. BFG has sold 21 million copies sold worldwide and been translated into 49 languages.
The 105-second commercial features the adventures of an 8-metre giant with oversized ears on a mission to help (real-life) Sainsbury’s employee, Sophie, make the holiday season “phizz-whizzing”.
Real-life scenes blend with animated sequences of the lovable giant to make a surreal wonder infused with the warmth of the Christmas spirit. The film was directed by Sam Brown with a voiceover by by Stephen Fry and a soundtrack by composer, Alex Baranowski, recorded at Abbey Road with a 54-piece orchestra.
Sainsbury’s Christmas campaign includes its second consecutive commitment to make affordable and tasty food accessible during the festive period through an initiative called Good food for all of us. And this festive season, Sainsbury’s is working with charity partner, Comic Relief, to distribute over five million meals to families experiencing food poverty. The scheme is part of Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief’s Nourish the Nation programme, and there will be a different edition of this Christmas year’s advert highlighting the contribution.
Emma Bisley, head of campaigns, at Sainsbury’s, stated, “Collaborating with the Roald Dahl Story Company this year was a remarkable opportunity to tap into the nostalgia and heartwarming spirit that the BFG embodies and hope that this advert captures the nation’s hearts and fills them with joy.
“The Big Friendly Giant meets the Big Friendly Grocer – two fabric of the nation brands, bringing the magic of Christmas home to families,” added Ian Heartfield, founder at New Commercial Arts. “Our heart-warming campaign is a celebration of all things Christmas, allowing young and old to escape into a wonderful world of mouth-watering food, and to enjoy the story of a special friendship.”
