From Buster the boxer (John Lewis) to Marks and Spencers’ Mrs Claus, the high street has been wowing us with their festive campaigns, but it looks like supermarket titan Sainsbury’s may take the crown… Voiced by Late Show host James Corden, this animated musical masterpiece – titled ‘The Greatest Gift For Christmas is Me’ – is a heart-warming, family affair.
The advert tells the story of Dave during the busy Christmas season who is overworked and over-stretched and often misses his children’s bedtime. One night when he returns home late, he spots a gingerbread man decorated to look like him. Inspired, he rushes back to the toy factory where he works on creating a series of clones - from tapping monkeys, toy planes and nodding dogs - to cover his jobs and give him more time with his family.
The song was penned by Brett McKenzie, one half of comedy duo Flight of The Concords, and animated by Sam Fell who is best known for his animated children’s films, including Flushed Away and ParaNorman. Whilst the supermarket chain hasn’t revealed how much the ad cost, the intricate stop-motion process – which took 16 weeks to build, 420 hours to shoot, and eight weeks of post-production – and the use of Corden who has become somewhat of a phenomenon with his Carpool Karaoke skits, will have no doubt pushed it into seven figures.
The advert is in association with Great Ormond Street Hospital to raise funds for their Children’s Charity, and all of the money raised by the campaign will go towards providing accommodation for families of children at the hospital. Sainsbury’s will be selling specially created Gingerbread ‘Dave’ characters for £1 and a film animation kit for £5, to raise money for the charity. From 21st November, customers will also have the option to make a 20p donation at the till, or more if specifically requested, with all the proceeds going straight to the charity.
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