Sainsbury’s 2021 Christmas advert encourages families to ‘savour’ every moment

A snapshot in time on Christmas Day is frozen for viewers to appreciate all the little things

(Sainsbury’s)

Sainsbury’s has released its Christmas advert for 2021, which stops time during a Christmas dinner to encourage viewers to savour the upcoming celebrations.

The supermarket’s festive advert follows in the footsteps of John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Aldi and more, who released their adverts in early November this year.

The advert aims to capture a snapshot in time where family and friends are gathered together to mark the joyous occasion, after many people were forced to isolate or spend Christmas without their loved ones due to lockdown restrictions.

In the 60-second spot, viewers see time freeze after someone plugs in the Christmas tree lights and the words “Welcome Back to Christmas” appear on the screen.

Set to the soothing tones of Etta James’ “At Last”, the advert shows all the moments that are hidden within the snapshot, panning from person to person as they go about enjoying their Christmas celebration.

A grandfather sitting in an armchair cracks a walnut open, sending walnut shell shards flying everywhere, and children play by a window, pulling faces and striking poses with one another.

The camera appears to travel through the spray from a bottle of prosecco that has just been popped open, and then viewers are greeted by scenes of loved ones sitting around the dinner table waiting to tuck into the Christmas fare.

(Sainsbury’s)

On the left is a grandmother with a post-it note stuck to her forehead, with the name “Bimini” –this refers to British drag queen Bimini Bon-Boulash, who came in second place on the second series of Rupaul’s Drag Race UK.

Sweeping across the table to show the entire meal, viewers are shown a selection of food items available at Sainsbury’s for the big day, including the Taste the Difference Maple & Marmalade Gammon and Salted Caramel & Chocolate Star.

(Sainsbury’s)

Finally, the advert pans past two men sitting at a piano, singing their hearts out, before zooming out to the entire room which shows everyone in it with faces full of joy.

The scene pauses for a fraction of a second before a dog that is in mid-jump falls to the floor and the festivities resume, with laughter and chatter over the backing track heard once more.

In a voiceover, actor and comedian Stephen Fry can be heard saying: “It’s been a long time coming, so let’s make it a Christmas to savour.”

Radha Davies, director of brand communications and creative at Sainsbury’s, said: “With so many of us unable to spend Christmas with our loved ones last year we, along with the nation, are really excited to fully celebrate Christmas once more.

“One of the true highlights of the festive season is the much-anticipated Christmas dinner. Whilst the food is important, it’s also about what that meal represents, spending quality time with loved ones, catching up, enjoying a delicious meal and above all, having fun together.

“That’s why we decided to focus on savouring every moment with this year’s ad. We really hope everyone truly gets to enjoy themselves this year and can make it one to remember.”

The advert will air on ITV on Sunday 14 November during the Angela Black Special, and will also launch in cinemas on 22 November.