New Year’s resolutions are the annual buzzkill that threatens the joy of a new year. Wrestling with promises about health kicks, detoxing and saving money just isn’t fun. What a perfect time for Sainsbury’s to release an exuberant campaign about the uncomplicated joy of cooking and eating.
Wieden + Kennedy’s first campaign for Sainsbury’s has to be the right message in the right place at the right time. Wieden + Kennedy won Sainsbury’s in August last year from AMV BBDO, which had held the account for 35 years.
It also stands out against the clutter of supermarket advertising in a way that no other ever has. Sure, it follows the current trend of using real people but all is forgiven when it’s a crowd-sourced dance song that catches you up in its enthusiasm, supported by hilarious gifs and joy-of-life posters. Besides, who hasn’t danced in the kitchen like nobody’s watching? It’s real and it welcomes you to join in.
Sophie Bodoh, creative director at Wieden + Kennedy noted, “We didn’t want to tell people how to live well. We wanted to celebrate real people who are already living well in kitchens all over the country.”
The work has a standout look and feel, too – and a really nice modern edge in a category that tends to favour “everyday” imagery. People are shot in black and white. Food is shot in colour. The type is big and bold and orange.
With the campaign, Food Dancing, Sainsbury’s is recognising “food for what it really is; something to celebrate. For more than just filling hungry bellies or inducing Instagram drool – food lies at the heart of living well; bringing us joy and making us feel good. This is about showing food for the role it really plays in all our lives, at the centre of real moments, relationships and emotions…the essentials of a life well-lived,” Wieden + Kennedy explained in its statement.
And Sainsbury’s couldn’t have picked a better time to make people feel good.
Wieden + Kennedy has released the song, Food Dancing (Yum Yum Yum), and music video from which the 60 second TVCs were created. The song is available on Spotify, and was written by UK artist, MysDiggi – who had his first job at Sainsbury’s and whose mum also works in store.
The music video and TV spots were directed by Siri Bunford at Knucklehead. Among the real people dancing in their own kitchens is Sainsbury’s colleague, Richard Hetherson, a body pop and locking baker.
David Sykes photographed the vibrantly coloured food still life while Josh Cole shot the black and white portraits for the poster that will be used in-store and out-of-home.
Scott Dungate, creative director at Wieden + Kennedy commented, “Key to our approach was creating a strong look and feel. We think authentic black and white portraiture, vibrant colourful food overlay, and big, bold orange type is a great way to give Sainsbury’s real freshness and energy in a very crowded category.”
The campaign is being supported with online activations created by AnalogFolk, Gravity Road and Seven. PHD planned and booked all media, and Drum is responsible for media partnerships, including the first Spotify Branded Moments sponsorship in the UK.
Mark Given, director of brand communications at Sainsbury’s, commented, “The excitement and energy created by our #fooddancing film is the perfect antidote to how our customers tell us they feel in January. Why should one month of the year have less opportunity to live well than any other? Having fun in the kitchen is a big part of living well. Whether you are whipping up your signature dish or just having a cheese sandwich, making something to eat is a joy. So let’s celebrate it.”
Credits:
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Executive creative directors Tony Davidson & Iain Tait
Creative directors: Scott Dungate & Sophie Bodoh
Creatives: Philippa Beaumont, Andrew Bevan & Freddy Taylor
Design director: Karen Jane
Designers: Stephanie McArdle & Tobias Bschorr
Agency executive producer: Danielle Stewart
Group account director: Katherine Thomson
Account directors: Francesca Purvis & Will Smith
Planning director: Tom Lloyd
TV producer: Michelle Brough
Production company: Knucklehead
Director: Siri Bunford
Executive producer: Matthew Brown
Line producer: Matthew Brown
DOP: Jim Joliffe
Editing: Adam Rudd @ Finalcut
VFX: Time Based Arts
VFX supervisor Tom Johnson
Flame artist: Mike Aveling
VFX producer: Lauren Havard
Lead animator: Jess Gorick
Colourist: Simone Grattarola
Music company: Wake The Town
Sound company: 750MPH
Food photographer: David Sykes
Portrait photographer: Josh Cole
Post production: Stanleys Post
