Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Supermarket chain Asda is celebrating the lengths that people go to and ‘what the heck’ attitude during the festive season with a campaign centred on the hashtag: #BecauseitsChristmas.
On Sunday (November 1), Asda switched on the festive lights with the airing of its #BecauseItsChristmas campaign during ITV reality show ‘The X Factor’.
The 60-second advert aims to captures the excitement and ‘go for it’ spirit of Christmas, from the family that festoons its car with lights, to the dad who buys the biggest of trees then struggles to get it home, to an antler-wearing dog, to the child who outperforms in the nativity play, to the nervous man who finally puckers up under the mistletoe at the work party. It features ‘The X Factor’ contestant Fleur East’s debut single ‘Sax’ ahead of its release tomorrow (Friday November 6).
The stories come from customers themselves who told Asda about the extreme efforts they go to enjoy this time of year. The launch advert is being followed by shorter ads which take a closer look at those people going all out at Christmas, as well as ads to showcasing the scale of Asda’s Christmas range. The TV push is supported with cinema and digital outdoor ads, including giant 3D boards featuring antlers and tree lights in Leeds and Manchester.
Asda chief customer officer Barry Williams said: “Christmas is a time you can really go for it – trust me, with a big family of my own, I’m well aware of how much effort goes into making it special, fun and meaningful – and how much reward comes from doing just that. And I know it’s not just my family who feels this way; our customers have been saying they act exactly the same at this time of year. So we’re celebrating that spirit. It’s a cracker of a campaign – it’s about indulging on quality food, fantastic decorations, fun or glam festive clothes and incredible efforts to get together, and depicts it all with personality.”
The launch will also kick-start Asda’s most advanced digital campaign to date. The content-driven approach – which includes go-for-it moments like a ‘dogs do Christmas’ video series, a spoof training academy for colleagues, and ‘something extra special’ to support the upcoming Star Wars film release – will feature across multiple platforms including YouTube, Twitter and Tumblr. As well as an industry first partnership with Google, this Christmas also marks the launch of Asda’s first significant presence on Instagram to showcase its Christmas food range.
Throughout November and December, momentum-building ads will enhance the anticipation, before a 30-second advert captures the final countdown.
