Food and memories lighten up a more realistic version of Christmas from Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s has latched on to a very basic Christmas truth, that food is central to the season. Conveniently for Sainsbury’s, it’s also a truth that isn’t going to be too badly affected by Covid – if you can’t get together with all your loved ones, you can at least eat and drink your way through the whole thing.

Instead of serving up pure schmaltz on a plate, though, Wieden + Kennedy has seasoned this campaign with plenty of humour, capturing the kinds of long-running jokes and ongoing mockery that make family memories stick.

Three executions centre on Dad’s gravy, turkey carving, and Boxing Day sandwiches. The endline is: “Food is home. Home is Christmas.”

Emma Bisley, head of broadcast marketing at Sainsbury’s, said: “We know that this year has been different for everyone, so we wanted to take a different approach with our Christmas campaign by simply reminding people that Christmas dishes are gestures of love and care, served by up by those who matter most. It’s our memories of these dishes, prepared by the people we love, that have the power to transport us home – whether we’re there or not.”

Darren Simpson, creative director at Wieden + Kennedy, said: “In a year when everything is a little bit all over the place, we were happy to create a campaign that reminds people about the power of food to transport you to good times. Christmas and especially the food, are the memories we all hold on to.”

MAA creative scale: 7.5