Asda's gnome squad rallies to save Christmas in cheeky festive ad

Directed by Oscar-nominated Bryan Buckley, the ad opens with Asda colleagues Maggie and Bill looking out into the snow. They are worried about preparing the store for Christmas, with many roads in the area closed. But Bill, being calm and collected, taps the nose of a gnome, sending a signal to hundreds of other gnomes across the country.

Soon, a group of festive gnomes arrives at the store, whipping up treats, stocking shelves, and transforming it into a festive wonderland. As dawn breaks, chief gnome Max declares, “It’s time to go Gnome,” and they all depart in Asda vans, leaving a perfectly prepped store behind. The ad closes with a playful take on Chris Rea’s holiday classic, changing the tune to Driving Gnome for Christmas.

“We're really clear on Christmas, we want to make sure that we're delivering what customers want,” explains Adam Zavalis, Asda’s vice president of marketing. “They want that hope. They want that nostalgia, that tradition.”

He explains that they briefed Havas London to create something that could be “distinctly and uniquely” Asda, a story that could be told from the retailer’s perspective and used on an ongoing basis. Of course, there’s the pressure of “standing out from the crowd” during the flurry of festive supermarket ads.

So why gnomes? Well, Asda sells thousands of them each year. There are even Facebook communities dedicated to them, according to the marketer. There’s also the tried and tested method of brand mascots.

“We know from marketing and advertising over the decades, and it’s kind of got lost, is that having a brand mascot or character can help propel your brand,” adds Zavalis, citing the Honey Monster, Meerkats and the KFC Colonel.

“Back to the point about what could be distinctly Asda. We looked at what do we have. What do we have as properties? What do we have as assets? Is there anything either staring us in the face or within the archives?”

What the team loved so much about using gnomes was it meant there could be an array of different characters too. There are five standout characters that take the spotlight within the ad: Max, the daring leader, Gnicky, a glamorous drag artist, Gnibbles, a culinary master, Gnarla, the laid-back surfer, and Gnorma, a perfectionist party planner.

“It's playful, it's humorous. It doesn't take itself too seriously,” says David Hills, Asda’s chief customer officer. “Nonetheless, we're very serious about the value we deliver to customers.”

Building on Hills’ point, Zavalis noted that the soundtrack also contributed to the campaign's tongue-in-cheek vibe. “We're aiming to take the business of fun much more seriously at Asda,” he said.

The distinctly 1980s TV series soundtrack came after the creative team went through thousands of options, according to Asda. This year, the humble garden gnome brigade is Asda’s A-Team in a way.

Integrating this year’s Christmas ad, and its characters, into the wider business was a huge task. When it comes down to products, customers will be able to buy the gnomes from November 7. Zavalis is hoping they become collectible.

Working with Buckley, who has been dubbed “King of the Super Bowl” by the New York Times, was a dream. He brought a lot of passion to the project and worked closely with the animators and his director of photography – who previously worked on Oppenheimer.

“He wanted to give that sense of grandeur, of scale. The fine detail and craftsmanship that goes into it was incredible,” adds Zavalis. “For someone who's done massive things, be it in Super Bowl ads or film, he was super passionate about this, right down to all the debates we had about music as well.”

The marketers stress that when this goes into the world, they will be measuring the views, social engagement and the sentiment around the spot.

Zavalis notes: “The proof in the Christmas pudding, of course, is the sales.”