Supermarket wars have been with us for as long as there have been supermarkets. But the intensity of the competition has never been so keenly felt as it is today. Tesco has had a thoroughly miserable year, which cost them one Chief Executive, a mass of commercial credibility and most of the goodwill they had left. Lidl and Aldi are widely seen as 2014's victors, luring consumers away from the big beasts with super low prices and no-frills stores. But what of Sainsbury's?
Well, the once up-market outlet has felt the turbulence too, but is attempting a Yuletide fightback with an expensive looking TV campaign. Unfortunately, they've tumbled head-first into a pit of trouble. The problem stems from the theme. Eschewing the usual happy shoppers, wide-eyed with excitement at all the sugary fare on offer, Sainsbury's has opted for a film depicting the legendary football game between British and German troops on the frontline at Christmas, 1914.
"As soon as it appeared, there was a rush of criticism."
While supermarkets and bloody warfare may seem to have little in common, it's not hard to see where the creative concept sprang from. Throughout the year we've been awash with WW1 commemorations and memorials (a bit strange we should be recalling the start of a war, rather than the end, but there it is). So, the team tasked with building Sainsbury's festive pitch surely felt they'd hit on the perfect idea when someone suggested using this touching story. Perhaps they figured it would give the viewer a rosy glow, which would transfer to increased sales. Or maybe they knew the clip would stir up a hornets' nest and didn't much mind. Either way, as soon as it appeared, there was a rush of criticism, suggesting that global conflict was not a suitable tool for advertising groceries. Too late, the budget spent and the airtime booked, the work is out there, up and running.
For my part, I don't think any subject should be off-limits to creative communications, including advertisements. Censorship is rarely a welcome beast, and we do pride ourselves on a tradition of freedom of speech. Indeed, it could be argued that is a principle over which we've fought many wars. But the trick lies in accurately gauging the likely reaction to your message and imagery. If it's controversy you're after, then knock yourself out - run with something highly contentious. Providing it's legal, decent and truthful, the content of a campaign is up to the client and the agency. However, I suspect Sainsbury's hadn't agreed on a big old row as the basis of their seasonal charm offensive - but that's what they've achieved, like it or not.
Although members of my family died in both world wars, I'm not dreadfully upset by this campaign. It is a touch insensitive and certainly ill-considered, but there are far more profound lessons to be taken from WW1 than not using it as a reference in supermarket ads.
On a creative level, it's not a badly made film. Well-directed and nicely shot, it does at least stand out from a crowd of predictable and 'same as last year' pieces, jostling for position in prime time. That said, I would just invite readers to take a look at Paul McCartney's video for his 'Pipes Of Peace' single, alongside the Sainsbury's spot. You may well decide the advertisement isn't quite as original as it presumably claims to be.
Magnus Shaw is a copywriter, blogger and consultant
