The highly anticipated annual UK holiday advertising season has officially commenced, and among the early contenders, the collaboration between the creature animation specialists at Electric Theatre Collective and Rogue Films director Sam Brown for Sainsbury’s stands out as an early favorite.
Launched at the start of November 2026, the new festive commercial continues a beloved tradition for the British supermarket chain by bringing Roald Dahl’s iconic Big Friendly Giant (the BFG) back to screens for a third consecutive year. Produced through the advertising agency New Commercial Arts, the imaginative holiday spot expands on the magical lore of Giant Country, introducing viewers to a wider cast of fantastic computer-generated creatures. Alongside the familiar figure of the BFG, the commercial features a host of whimsical characters from his homeland, including the imposing Greedy Giant and the nimble Squizzly Scotch-hopper.
The campaign taps into the enduring cultural footprint of Roald Dahl’s classic storytelling while grounding the narrative in Sainsbury’s core seasonal message. Radha Davies, marketing director at Sainsbury’s, highlighted the strategic and emotional significance of bringing the character back for another holiday outing. According to Davies, the BFG has evolved into a much-loved fixture of the Christmas season for the supermarket’s customers, prompting the creative team to invite him back for yet another magical adventure. At the very heart of the sprawling story is a deceptively simple and resonant idea: nobody should miss out on Christmas.
This central theme drives the narrative scale of the commercial, which features striking visual set-pieces that blend live-action cinematography with high-end digital character animation. In one memorable sequence highlighted in the campaign’s imagery, a Sainsbury’s delivery van teeters precariously on the edge of a snowy mountain cliff in Giant Country, surrounded by towering landscapes and fantastical creatures. Another frame showcases a giant, spiky, armadillo-like beast traversing the freezing terrain alongside a delivery vehicle and a human character, emphasizing the vast scale difference between the real world and the realm of the giants. Further visual elements feature warmly lit encounters between elderly, friendly troll-like characters and everyday shoppers, maintaining the charming, character-driven tone that has defined the multi-year partnership.
The ambitious visual style of the campaign is the result of a massive collaborative effort across production, design, and visual effects. Directing the spot is Sam Brown, working alongside producer Polly Rushkin and executive producer Kate Taylor under the banner of Rogue Films. The cinematic look of the snowy vistas and high-tension mountain moments was captured by director of photography Franz Lustig, with production design handled by James Hatt.
Bringing the fantastical residents of Giant Country to life required extensive technical execution from the creature animation and visual effects teams at Electric Theatre Collective. The studio’s contribution was led by VFX supervisor Alex Snookes and shoot supervisor Michael Chapman, with Holly Treacy serving as executive producer. Will Medcalf stepped in as CG lead, while Michael Chapman contributed as creative director, and Fabrice Fiteni directed the complex character animation. The intricate pipeline involved a large team of digital artists, including matte painters, lighters, FX artists, riggers, and a dedicated roster of animators and compositors who blended the CG elements seamlessly into the live-action footage. Color grading for the project was managed by Luke Morrison at Electric Theatre Collective.
Behind the scenes, the narrative structure and overall campaign rollout were orchestrated by agency New Commercial Arts, founded by Ian Heartfield and David Golding. Creative direction for the spot was shared by Dan Bailey and Brad Woolf, with creative writing and conceptual development led by Rose Power and Niamh McBride. Georgia Dickinson spearheaded agency production alongside producer Olive Andrews.
In addition to the primary broadcast commercial, the campaign was supported by extensive design and visual assets produced by King Henry Studios. Head of design Danny Tomkins oversaw a team that included designer Jasmin Price, retouchers Mark Henry and Gemma Lawton, artworker Bradley Baker, and animator Bradley Barker. Creative operations were managed by Cameron Henry, with production handled by Cassia Henry.
The editorial pacing of the commercial was shaped by editor Eve Ashwell at Tenthree, supported by producer Ed Hoadley. Meanwhile, the emotional resonance of the holiday spot was amplified by its custom musical score and sound design, crafted by composer Chris White at Manderley Music. The audio production team included music producers Nat Curran and Matthew Steven, alongside assistant producer Sean Craigie-Atherton.
As the holiday advertising season continues to unfold across the United Kingdom, Sainsbury’s latest campaign demonstrates the ongoing power of combining familiar literary intellectual property with top-tier visual effects and character animation, ensuring the retailer remains a prominent fixture of the festive season.
