Asda launches celeb-fronted, but not endorsed, campaign

Asda, the supermarket giant, is launching a TV ad campaign fronted by well-known celebrities just weeks after marketing director Rick Bendel criticised the use of celebrity endorsement by retailers.

The first advert will star Victoria Wood in a “fly-on-the wall” documentary-style advert and will show her working in the in-store bakery at Boldon, Newcastle.

An Asda spokeswoman says: “We’re absolutely not about celebrity endorsement and Victoria Wood is not the face of Asda. We do think it is patronising to get celebrities to tell our customers what to buy. We are going to get a whole series of people known for their common sense approach and we will let customers experience Asda through them. This is not about endorsement.”

She adds that future adverts will feature well known for “speaking their own mind”.

It will be the first work for Asda created by Fallon, which won its £45m account from Publicis at the beginning of the year after Bendel dropped Publicis.