Best Supermarket TV Adverts
Supermarket adverts are a true constant in our lives – on TV, on the radio, at bus stops. You can’t get away from price battles, promotions and of course, the yearly battle to create the best Christmas adverts.
Love them or hate them, supermarket TV adverts have evolved a lot over the years. Sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they star our favourite celebrities, sometimes they’re controversial, and sometimes they even use their power for good. Here are some of the very best supermarket adverts on TV from over the years, featuring all your high street favourites.
Rang-tan – Iceland, 2018
An example of a supermarket giant using its clout for good, Iceland nonetheless found itself in hot water with this 2018 ad that was eventually banned for being ‘political’. The film used in the advert was originally created by Greenpeace and was repurposed by the frozen food giant to pledge an end to the use of palm oil in its products.
Despite being taken off the air, the advert was a huge success and made an incredible impact. It went on to be named the most powerful TV advert of 2018, and inspired Greenpeace to create a children’s book to continue to promote the anti-palm oil cause.
Food Love Stories – Tesco, 2017
When an advert wins a Cannes Lion award, you know it’s the good stuff. Back in 2017 Tesco launched the Food Love Stories campaign, to remind people that a quick Tesco shop doesn’t just have to mean the bare necessities and that we should all be taking a little more joy in the everyday.
The series was made up of several individual adverts, all showcasing how important food is in our lives. The Tesco TV adverts captured little snippets of everyday life, including a husband who lovingly makes his wife a too-spicy curry, an estranged couple coming together over a barbecue, and a steak salad that makes a disastrous spray tan seem not too bad.
This is not just food… – M&S, 2019
The original series of ‘not just’ adverts promoting M&S Christmas food took the UK by storm and quickly became one of the most recognisable taglines across the country. In 2019, to combat dwindling sales and get back on shopping lists, M&S revived the campaign with a bit of a tongue-in-cheek advert showcasing the full food range.
As we’ve come to expect from any M&S TV advert, there’s a soothing yet sensual backing track, lots of slow-motion food shots, and plenty of in-depth descriptions of some of the dishes the supermarket was trying to flog. In this advert, we see a range of people just trying to go about their day and being completely sidetracked by the irresistible sight of M&S food – relatable content and a good example of how much we all love a little M&S treat.
That’s Asda price – Asda, 2020
For those of us who grew up in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, “that’s Asda price” and the accompanying back pocket pat was a universally known catchphrase. This Asda advert from 2020 makes reference to that famous “pocket tap” and brings it into the present day with reference to the ongoing cost of living crisis and even a recognisable phone ringtone with the familiar Asda Price jingle.
The advert claims to be made by real-life superfan Sunny, who’s shown to be making the advert alongside his son – and his neighbour who accidentally makes a cameo – to “bring Asda price back to the people”. It’s a bit of a cringy supermarket advert, but we love a brand that doesn’t forget its roots!
Cuthbert v Colin – ALDI, 2023
The online battle over the chocolate caterpillar cakes may well go down in UK supermarket history. The dispute started in 2021 when M&S took Aldi to court over claims the budget supermarket’s Cuthbert the Caterpillar cake was too similar to the M&S Colin the Caterpillar.
The dispute made news all around the world, and was a hit on social media. This advert reignites the debate a few years down the line, showing people dressed as Colin, Wiggles (Sainsbury’s version of the dessert) and Morris (the Morrison’s cake) taste both cakes and claim they like both. After being awkwardly accosted by ‘Colin’, the ad tell us that Aldi is “like M&S. Only cheaper.” The row continues…
Do you have a favourite supermarket TV advert? Let us know!