LONDON, UK — Morrisons‘ new Christmas ad celebrates the stars of Christmas – the hosts who will choreograph the nation’s festive feasts – as they prepare to put on the greatest show at home.
The ad, by creative agency Leo Burnett, which debuted on November 04 during ITV’s Coronation Street, sees the much-loved singing oven gloves reprise their roles for a new performance. It is set to the soundtrack of Give a Little Love from Bugsy Malone, recorded by a choir of 26 Morrisons colleagues at Abbey Road Studios – with talent spotted from across Morrisons stores, manufacturing sites and support office. The soundtrack sets the tone with the feel-good energy and celebratory warmth of a big “musical” production finale.
Directed by Michael Gracey who made 2017’s worldwide success The Greatest Showman, the ad combines the playful charm of the oven gloves with a theatrical flair, giving it a sense of occasion that mirrors the magic of Christmas.
The gloves, now fully animated with distinct voices, sing their support for the nation’s family chefs – encouraging them as they prepare an array of indulgent Christmas dishes. From British turkeys and beautifully presented whole salmon, to party food from The Bestrange and indulgent desserts, the ad places Morrisons food front and centre, offering a feast for the eyes as well as the table.
The 60-second ad opens on a snowy evening, with a Morrisons delivery van arriving at a home. Inside, a lone oven glove catches a spotlight and springs to life, beginning to sing the opening line of Give a Little Love. As the ad progresses, we are taken on a journey through a series of festive kitchens, where the gloves provide moral support to hosts preparing for the big day.
Whether it’s a nervous host facing down a large turkey or proudly presenting a platter of seafood, the gloves are there to sing them to success.
The ad features heroes from The Best range, with mouth-watering food moments and beautifully crafted plates taking centre stage. Morrisons Market Street is celebrated with hand-prepared meats by butchers, freshly baked goods by expert bakers and British winter vegetables.
“Morrisons is here to ensure that every host can put on the greatest show at home this Christmas,” said Alex Rogerson, Morrisons Group Customer and Marketing Officer. “We know that hosting can come with some pressure, but with our top-quality Christmas range and a little help from Morrisons experts and our singing oven gloves – our customers are set to shine bright this Christmas, with our range of great value food that looks spectacular, and tastes just as good.”
Mark Elwood, Chief Creative Officer at Leo Burnett UK, said: “The oven glove puppets have become an icon of Morrison’s Christmas, embodying the heart and soul of every festive kitchen. This year, we wanted to take them to the next level by giving them their own voices, turning them into inspiring and supportive companions for hosts all over the nation. Highlighting the journey every Christmas chef goes through; we knew this theatrical take and ‘The Greatest Showman’ Director Michael Gracey, would truly bring this to life.”
Wavemaker UK is responsible for the media strategy, planning and buying for “The Greatest Show at Home” campaign, ensuring it reaches homes the length and breadth of the UK. Media activations span TV, digital display, social media, cinema and outdoor ads, in addition to audio and print activity in partnership with Bauer and Immediate Media respectively – all designed to support and inspire as we head into the Christmas season.
The Black Kite team joined in pre-production, collaborating closely with the Director to design complex camera movements for each choreographed scene. The VFX team carefully planned these ambitious moves to maximize creative flexibility.
Additionally, instore creative execution, including creative design and photography for the customer journey was carried out by Live & Breathe.
Morrisons is also launching a series of playful social content featuring the oven gloves, including unboxing videos and series of films with the gloves suggesting dishes for different festive occasions and tips to help hosts get stage-ready alongside Morrisons colleagues demonstrating their expertise. There will also be light-hearted bloopers with the gloves, capturing fun outtakes to bring extra festive cheer.
Additionally, the fan-favorite Cat Glove from last year returns with a new spinoff ad, introducing the Kitten Mittens. The campaign will be supported with a series of fully integrated 20-second food and drink focused ads across TV and Radio. Set to the backdrop of “Give a little a love,” the gloves will make an appearance along whilst hero-ing award-winning delicious food and offers.
Credits:
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett
Creative Director – Gareth Butters
Creative Director – Kimberley Gill
CCO – Mark Elwood
ECDS – James Millers and Andrew Long
Senior Producer – Anna Cartwright
Chief Production Officer – Emily Marr
Creative Director of Design – David Allen
Senior Designer – Harry Ingrams
Business Director – Sophie Garrett
Account Director – Ben Mallins
Senior Account Manager – Gabriella Watts
Account Executive – Jessica Lakey
Head of Planning – Joe Beveridge
Planning Director – Rebecca Priest
Project Director – Fahed Eichikhe
Trade Senior Producer – Georgia Morris
Trade Creative – Joshua Merriam
Production Brand
Director – Michael Gracey at Partizan
Production Company – Partizan
Managing Director/Executive Producer – Jenny Beckett
Head of Production – Ella More O’Ferrall
Producer – Daniel Wheldon
Line Producer – Lucy Banks
Director’s Assistant – Sophia Nagar
Production Manager – Matt Bulaitis
Production Coordinator – Alice Pitt-Carter
Production Assistant – Ella Kander
DOP – Stephen Keith Roach
Production Designer – Olly Williams
Stylist – Ashley Dando & Clem Miller
Model Maker – Arch Model Studio & Yuki Honjo Archer
Puppeteers – Olly Taylor, Helena Smee, Marcus Clarke, Laurence Moran
Casting Director – Hannah Birkett
Home Economist – Elaine Ngan
Editor – David Spearing
VFX: Black Kite Studios
VFX Supervisor: Dan Sanders
Colour: Richard Fearon
Shoot Supervisor: Daniel Sanders
2D Lead: Paul Wilmot
2D Artist: Matt Hutchins, Mauro Nodari, Lysa Cornic, Warren Gebhardt
Executive Producer: Hannah Ruddleston
Senior Producer: Hazel Gibson
Music Supervision/Licensing – Wake The Town
Music Direction, Production, Sound Design & Mix – String & Tins
Music Producer, Voice Director, Sound Design & Mix – Adam Smyth
Sound Design & Composition Producer – Alina Miroshnichenko
Composition Re-Arrangement – Joseph Alexander
Production Trade
Director – Gareth Sambridge
Production Company – Annex
EP – Basil Stephens
Producer – Fred Robinson
DOP – Jordan Stephens
Production Designer – Matt Duddleston
Puppets – Arch Model Studio
Model Maker – Yuki Honjo Archer
Puppeteers – Olly Taylor
Home Economist – Elaine Ngan
Editor – Brian Beattie
Post Production – Prodigious
Grade – Matthew Lee-Redman
Post Producer – Jessica Scanella
Offline editor – Brian Beattie
Flame – Jack Kennedy
Audio – Henry Frith
Music Composition & Sound Design – String & Tins
Sound Design & Composition Producer – Alina Miroshnichenko
