has unveiled a heartwarming Christmas advert designed to boost festive spirits amidst the season's hustle and bustle. Titled Helping Feed Your Christmas Spirit, the enchanting advert is a spin on the nostalgic fairytale Hansel and Gretel.
The moving advert follows Gary, who honours his late grandmother's memory by continuing their beloved ritual of building a gingerbread house during the holiday season. As the Gorillaz track On Melancholy Hill plays in the background, viewers follow his journey of remembrance and renewal.
A poignant moment unfolds as Gary's grandfather gifts him a packet of Tesco Gingerbread Men. The living room explodes into a fantastical gingerbread realm, suddenly crumbling when Gary is struck by his grandmother's absence this Christmas.
In an endearing display of familial bonds, Gary and his granddad revive the treasured tradition of constructing a gingerbread house together. A structure that becomes the centrepiece of their Christmas celebration.
In a magical finale, as the family gathers for dinner, the spirit of Christmas soars and even Grandad's home gets a gingerbread makeover exterior, reports .
Tescos Chief Commercial Officer Ashwin Prasad shared with the Mirror the inspiration behind the advert and the family tradtions people have.
He commented: "As we thought about what the theme should be, we felt the Christmas spirit waxes and wanes throughout the season, as people are worried about the costs, logistics of bringing everyone together and finding all the products they need to on a gift list."
"It is family traditions and the memories that give people the pay-off on Christmas Day when it all comes together. It felt like a big, uniquely Tesco way of recognising how Christmas really is for families. We really loved the story with Gary and his grandad coming together to carry on a tradition."
The emotionally charged advert will debut during Money Show and A more extensive cut of this heartwarming ad will be featured in an exclusive cinema run until December 23.
This year, Tesco is pushing the boat out this Yuletide season with an impressive home-built biscuit house, and it's not just your taste buds benefiting 10p from every gingery treat sold over the festive period goes straight to the Trussell Trust and FareShare in support of foodbanks nationwide.
It's not all about the classic gingerbread, though, as Ashwin reveals Tesco has supersized its Christmas line-up, boasting approximately 280 new culinary delights alongside further enhancements to their gourmet Finest fare.
Whether you opt for the full 3-minute spectacle or the snappier 60-second version, the advert is chock-full of enchanting moments and hidden 'Easter eggs' including a crafty urban fox and a gingerbread man starring in his own Calvin Klein-esque campaign.
Ashwin voiced: "It wouldn't be Tesco if there weren't moments of fun, humour and cultural references, despite the really endearing narrative. We hope that every time people watch it they will find something different."
The Christmas advertising frenzy in the UK is hitting new heights this year, as firms are set to splash out an astonishing £10.5 billion over the festive period, per insights from the Advertising Association and WARC. This marks a significant eight percent increase from last year's £9.7 billion spend, making it the highest expenditure since records commenced in 1982, even surpassing the post- recovery surge of 2021.
Ashwin remarked: "The Christmas adverts have become something that everybody looks forward to - but what I love about them is that I don't think it's because of the aim of spending more, it's that, especially in the past few years, everybody in the UK wants to have the best Christmas they possibly can. In pursuit of that, you really want to tell a story that relates to customers. What I feel particularly proud of in the UK is that is the starting point for everybody - they are really trying to tell a story that resonates.
"As a result of that, you have something that has become more and more special with a lot of thought and passion that has gone into it."
