Asda recruits famous character for Christmas advert - with nod to cost of living
Asda has kicked off an festive advertising blitz among retailers - with a nod to the cost of living crisis
Supermarket giant Asda has called on festive grouch The Grinch, of all people, to help shoppers get into the Christmas spirit this year.
The TV advert features the famous Christmas cynic as a grumbling dad fed-up with prices at this time of year, in a pointed nod to the cost of living crisis.
To a reworked version of classic hit ‘Let it Snow’, he then discovers the joy of the season. It comes as hit movie The Grinch marks 25 years of first being released, with the film going on to become a Christmas classic for many families.
Asda is one of the first out of the blocks by launching its Christmas TV commercial. The next week or so will see other retailers unveil their Christmas adverts to try to woo shoppers, including department store chain John Lewis’s much anticipated festive offering.
The Grinch’s green glow is a good fit for Asda’s colours, and something the grocer makes a virtue of in the advert, which has goes live on social media channels before a 60 second version airs on TV for the first time on ITV 1 at 8.30pm in the 1% Club ad break.
Adam Zavalis, Asda’s vice president of marketing, told the Mirror: “A lot of Christmas adverts don’t confront the truth, but it is a tough time for families. From our research we found that 90% of hard-working households really love Christmas, but 70% really struggle with the cost of Christmas.”
The advert starts off in a street market - filmed in Walthamstow, East London - where the dad bulked at prices being charged for Christmas trees and gifts.
Among the adapted lyrics to ‘Let it Snow’ is: “Oh the prices this year are frightful. Spenny gifts, I’ve seen a sightful, We’re getting quite low on dough, It’s a no... It’s a no... It’s a...Ooohh... Nice colour!” - as the character spots an Asda branch in the distance. It then moves to a store where The Grinch finds his Christmas cheer.
Mr Zavalis said the advert - directed by Dexter Fletcher and featuring a number of real Asda workers - was about helping shoppers “achieve the dream that everyone is looking for. It is the time of year that people want to park reality.”
Asda is already one of the country’s biggest sellers of The Grinch merchandise and the advert, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the movie release, is likely to deliver an extra sales boost.
Retailers have used big bucks adverts to try to win festive customers at what is a crucial time of year for their coffers. It comes as Asda is trying to fight back after having lost ground to rivals from Tesco and Sainsbury’s to discount chains Aldi and Lidl.
Allan Leighton, who helped turn around the chain’s fortunes as chief executive in the late 1990s, has returned as executive chairman in a bid to do the same again now. Asked what the top boss thought of the new advert, Mr Zavalis insisted: “He loves it.”
