Sainsbury’s giant Christmas advert is rich in nostalgia and craft

Sainsbury’s purpose-driven Christmas ad taps into a universally loved Roald Dahl classic to mine some Yule Tide nostalgia, says Julian Cirrone, creative director, Brands2Life.

Sainsbury's 2024 Christmas campaign, featuring the beloved character the BFG, was created by New Commercial Arts, marking a nostalgic collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company.

Directed by Sam Brown, the ad showcases a real Sainsbury’s employee, ‘Sophie’ (an aspiring actress) on a journey with the BFG to source high-quality ingredients across the UK. The ad emphasises Sainsbury’s commitment to quality and the festive spirit of sharing, with Stephen Fry narrating.

The campaign also supports Comic Relief's initiative to provide meals for families in need during the holiday season.

Julian’s take

Taking inspiration from the storytelling world of Roald Dahl is certainly one way to secure the attention of customers this Christmas. 

Using a pinch of childhood nostalgia and a heavy dash of live action mixed with CGI, Sainsbury’s has created a beautifully crafted ad that I genuinely wanted to watch—in its entirety.

There is plenty of humour to keep you interested but they haven't strayed too far from what the supermarket does best - offering good produce. The not-too-subtle nods to the products you can find in-store are a helpful reminder of what to stick on the shopping list when the time comes.

Its partnership with Comic Relief also creates a sense of comfort that the brands understand the climate we find ourselves in.

My only criticism is that the concept feels limiting in its ability to connect with its audience beyond TV. If you take ASDA's use of gnomes for instance, they at least have a device that could offer tangible ways of creating ‘surprise and delight’ moments and tactics beyond the screen, in IRL, across social and in earned.