A tale of two celebrations
Two giants of the high street have both been celebrating special anniversaries this year and with Tesco and Sainsbury’s communicating these landmarks in contrasting ways, we’ve been taking a look at their highlights and how they compare. Can there ever can be a ‘winner’ in contests like these? Well, read on to find out... because there’s nothing like a bit of healthy marketing competition, after all!
Ghosts of Christmas past
In case you missed our tickety boo take on this year’s Christmas ads, Sainsbury’s and Tesco both put a different spin on the festive period. Sainsbury’s has gone dark and Dickensian, with a tongue in cheek retelling of the origin of St Nick. Taking place around 150 years ago when they opened their first store and “Christmas changed forever”, the signature orange makes a cameo too! Saying much more will spoil the ending, but they’ve definitely looked to make a magical link with their history.
The battle of the Christmas ad’s – historical, seasonal, magical.
Tesco’s ad is more direct when it comes to a tie-in with their overall anniversary campaign, as an unsuspecting delivery driver ‘Delivering Christmas’, goes back to the future and makes a whistle-stop tour through the last 10 decades of Tesco. There’s plenty of figures of Christmas past on camera, and any ad that features Bullseye’s host Jim Bowen celebrating ‘a trip to tasty town’, is alright by us!
So, who wins the battle of the festive anniversary ad’s? We think it’s (deep and crisp and) even!
An anniversary toast on the telly
TV has always been a major battleground for supermarkets all year round too. Between the soaps and dramas they stake their claim for our pounds and pence, with all sorts of tactics employed over the years... from celebrity chefs to chirpy mascots.
Rolling back prices with Tesco
Back in 2007, one in every seven British pounds was spent in Tesco, so it’s no accident that Tesco ads have been asking us “Do You Remember?” as they reel back the years and roll back the prices. Help comes by way of a catchy soundtrack and famous faces from days gone by, including the unlikely combo of Mr Motivator, Mr Blobby and Des Lynam! It’s a clever ploy that utilises marketing’s most recent secret weapon – nostalgia, but it’s also an engaging and memorable way to position a strong value-led message.
Sainsbury’s, on the other hand, toasts it’s 150 years by making it personal - celebrating a brand spirit that they say has stood the test of time:
“From our humble beginnings to modern day success, we’ve never lost sight of what is important – helping out in our communities and proudly doing our bit is our celebration of every person who has kept this spirit alive for 150 years.”
This warm, earnest tone demonstrates how Sainsbury’s differs from its red, white and blue competitor and the way in which their anniversary ad is crafted is the genius bit. Using traditional and modern techniques, a Victorian zoetrope cake spins us from past to present. Now that’s unique!
Toasting the big 150!
Popping up and stepping back in time
During the summer, London’s Covent Garden played host to a throwback of the first ever J. Sainsbury’s. In 1869 in Soho, there was no better spot to shop for your butter, milk and eggs and in 2019, an immersive experience complete with actors in period costume guided visitors through decades of innovation. Even The Queen stopped by for a visit!
The store re-creation was definitely a novel way for the brand to celebrate its legacy, but we only wish it was open for longer. One day just wasn’t enough!
From past to present: a creative re-creation of the first ever store
Not to be outdone, Tesco threw a festive feast in a former 1900s police station in Covent Garden, taking guests on a culinary adventure through the Christmas tables of yesteryear. Ten decades were re-imagined, with a bonus Christmas feast looking to the future, and lucky diners stopped for a bite in each, with a fully immersive experience of projection, music and light thrown in. It was a cool, creative and surprising turn from Tesco, but this creativity hasn’t quite translated into their stores this Christmas. The activity feels a bit ‘by numbers’, whereas we loved the inclusivity of 'Everyone's welcome' in 2017 and 2018.
Feasting on creativity, the Tesco way
The timeline and the archive
It’s amazing to think that for both brands, an online offering is very recent in their long history of trading and yet nowadays, it’s a huge part of any business - how best to serve customers from the comfort of their own homes. You could argue it’s even more crucial to tell your story effectively here.
A timeline to treasure from Tesco
On their corporate website Tesco’s gone interactive, with a timeline of the last 100 years. It’s broken down with milestones from each decade and we think it’s a brilliant way to condense a huge timespan into a greatest hits collection, reliving some of the most memorable moments in the British public’s conscious.
And when it comes to historical context, Sainsbury’s are determined not to be beaten! They’ve created an online archive, showcasing almost a hundred thousand never-before-seen items, which tell the story of the Sainsbury family and the changing face of retail from the mid-19th century to the present day. It’s an impressive array of vintage photographs of original stores, packaging, old recipe cards and advertising materials and again, taps into nostalgia.
Taking a trip down memory lane in the Sainsbury’s archive
Our tickety boo take
When we look at these two year-long campaigns in tandem, both messages are clear. Tesco values…value. They’re known for keeping prices low and offering benefits to customers for their loyalty (famously, the success of Club Card is something Sainsbury’s is still chasing decades later) and have created a campaign that showcases the retro in a fun way. It’ll definitely appeal to a variety of customers, whether you’re a Dickens fan or a secret 90’s raver!
Tesco - Bringing the decades to life this year
Meanwhile, the Sainsbury’s camp feels less focused on price. Whether it’s their pop up in Covent Garden, distributing free packets of tea with ginger snap biscuits over the May Bank Holiday, or satsumas over Christmas, it’s all about creating an experience. These one-off events are great to create buzz, but is that enough to cement the loyalty of the day-to-day shopper?
Sainsbury’s: Creating an experience in store, online and on TV
Whichever approach you prefer, we’re pretty sure there’ll always be a place for these two retail giants... but only the next 100 (or 150) years will truly tell!