With all of the Christmas advertisements, internet marketing, and media blitzes to entice us to buy for Christmas or the “Holidays”.... I was amazed to find an advertising campaign that I loved. I fell upon it while surfing, it was an ad for a very British supermarket chain called Sainsbury. So of course I was on a "history quest" to learn more, since I remember Sainsbury’s from a trip to London at Christmas many years ago.
Located on historic Druy Lane the company was founded in 1869 by a man named John James Sainsbury and his wife Mary Ann. Eventually the company expanded and by 1922 it was London’s largest grocery store…in our area much like Wegman’s. Early in its existence it featured “self-service”... a unique concept in those days of personal help in the local stores, it also featured its own brand of goods.
The success of the store was due to its ownership, which remained rooted in family members. In World War II it stayed open despite the bombing of London and its stores in many other areas (one of which that was severely damaged) and the rationing of foodstuffs.
The company later was overcome by a competitor Tesco Foods, but today after being split into 3 corporate entities and much needed change was implemented, it opened its 1000th store.
As a way to give back to the community this year it asked children’s book author and artist Judith Kerr to take her famous clumsy hero cat Mog out of retirement in a book and commercial for the holiday season.
The new book is being sold by Sainsbury's that will donate all of its profits to Save the Children in its effort to promote child literacy… a very important mission of Kerr’s artistic and wonderful children’s books... she has written 15.
Kerr herself is at 92 and has had an association with her publisher Harper Collins Books for over 50 years, for fun she actually gets a cameo in the video. Bringing Mog, her clumsy feline character to life on the screen was a remarkable accomplishment that she thought she would never see.
The commercial edition with its message of sharing has skyrocket around the world via the web and in this year of tragedy and terror I have taken to watching the little video many mornings just to smile and enjoy Mog and his antics.
Watch and enjoy the Christmas Message!
Merry Christmas to all!
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