"Mog's Christmas Calamity"

12 November 2015

3 mins 20s

Mog the Cat is brought back to life and causes mayhem.

Sainsbury's Christmas commercial always comes later than the others because of the supermarket's respectful decision to defer their seasonal marketing until after Armistice Day.

And for the third year running, it's been worth the wait... John Lewis's offering continues to attract the most attention but Sainsbury's is running them a close second these days and this spectacular commercial featuring Judith Kerr's much-loved Mog the Cat edges them ever nearer.

Director James Rouse has thrown everything at this and the resulting film feels big in every sense. The gloriously disastrous slapstick sequence brings to mind the opening of 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' and it escalates quite beautifully.

Then, just when you're starting to think it's a commercial for an insurance company, up pops Sainsbury's in concert with the Mog's neighbours to save the day. That's when the real heart-warming stuff begins... the sense of togetherness is beautifully composed and hugely accentuated by the sight of everyone sat on the stairs eating their Christmas dinners together.

Sainsbury's - like the other big supermarkets - has witnessed big changes in our shopping habits in recent years and none of them has done the company any favours. But, wisely, they appear to understand that less confident advertising will accelerate that decline and they've sustained an incredibly bold approach. Let's hope the public responds by rewarding Sainsbury's with big seasonal sales this year and that some of their rivals take note and improve their advertising ahead of next year's big event.

UK

Supermarkets