Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has ended his long-standing relationship with supermarket Sainsbury‘s with a Christmas advert aired for the first time on TV last night.
Debuted during the X Factor Results Show, the advert has a Christmas pantomime theme and features Oliver cooking Christmas dinner with all the trimmings for a full pantomime cast.
Featuring festive favourites Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Captain Hook and Britain‘s tallest man as the giant from Jack & The Beanstalk, the ad was created by AMV BBDO and was directed by award-winning director Jamie Rafn, who has made adverts for Johnnie Walker, Bertolli and Cadbury‘s as well as other top brands.
Sainsbury‘s CEO Justin King acknowledged Oliver‘s hard work during the partnership, hailing him as a brilliant ambassador.
“By working together we have generated ideas that have helped inspire a generation of cooks and this advert is a fitting way for the relationship to come to a close,” he added.
Oliver has featured in over 100 adverts for the grocer since the start of the partnership in 2000 and has also headed campaigns such as ‘Feed your Family for a Fiver‘ as well as the recent drive to encourage shoppers to ‘Switch the Fish‘.
The chef has been a prevalent figure in a number of nationwide campaigns encouraging healthy eating, as well as social projects such as his Fifteen apprenticeship programme and Kitchen Gardens in primary schools.
“It‘s the end of an era but it‘s a good time to move on and what a great way to say goodbye – with a huge Christmas party in a wonderful venue,” Oliver commented.
“I‘ve always really appreciated working with the Sainsbury‘s team and store colleagues. We‘ve had such a good laugh over the years and I think we made a great team. I will miss them all and I wish everyone all the best for the future.”
Since announcing Oliver‘s departure as brand ambassador earlier this year, the grocer has launched its ‘Live Well For Less‘ campaign, aimed at encouraging healthy eating while promising value for money.
Last week, the chain reported strong results for its first half, with like-for-like sales and profit before tax up 1.9 per cent and 6.6 per cent year-on-year respectively.
