Asda Christmas 2024 Case Study

Bringing Christmas Magic to LifeAfter a successful collaboration with Asda for Christmas 2023, the festive spirit returned to our studios once again. This time, we were tasked with bringing to life a campaign that positioned Asda as the ultimate “Gnome of Christmas” from a brief set by Asda’s tier one agency.

With the hero TV commercial already in production, showcasing a fun series of gnome characters who became the unsung heroes of Christmas, our team was responsible for the photography and paid social production aspects for this year’s festive campaign.

Our creative approach aimed to spotlight Asda’s blend of affordable and indulgent products as the heart of Christmas celebrations. We wrapped everything into four central mission themes: Decorating, Gifting, Celebrating & Socialising, and The Big Day.

‘Tis the Season for Teamwork

With so many components to coordinate for both our photography and paid social elements, collaboration was essential from the start. We handpicked a talented team of around 20 specialists from Eat & Breathe and the wider STM Group (STM AGENCY), leveraging their unique skills throughout the entire creative journey from concept development and pre-production to the shoot and post-production stages. Throughout the process, we maintained close communication with Asda’s primary agency and key stakeholders to ensure everything was on track.

No Gnome Left Behind

For every Christmas enthusiast, it’s all about the planning and that’s why the creative and pre-production stages were crucial to our process. In preparation for photography and social outputs, we meticulously planned every shot, angle, crop and prop across multiple locations. Test shoots were conducted, and we always kept in mind the distinct requirements of each platform.

Our photography brief covered print, OOH, online, in-store displays and car park banners while our paid social span across Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, Pinterest and Snapchat. These unique specifications were carefully considered in every aspect of the creative.

Food Photography Campaign Approach

The summer heat didn’t dampen our festive spirit. First up was the photography response, where we transformed our Leeds photography studio into a winter wonderland of mince pies, garlands, and stocking fillers, shooting over a four-week period on two photography rigs. Our focus was to highlight Asda’s mid-tier product range alongside their new premium Exceptional line, using creative crops and striking angles to capture those special details along with a touch of CGI magic to introduce a gnome or two.

On the social side, we split our approach into two key parts: one for online and one for the Christmas Missions. We planned a location shoot with three room sets, a porch, and a front garden each designed to evoke the warmth and cosiness of a family Christmas. The stories we wanted to tell were rooted in real-life moments the Asda delivery driver bringing the Christmas turkey, tables filled with festive food, and the all-important final pig in being snatched up on the big day. These moments provided the perfect opportunity to introduce our playful gnome characters, always keeping Asda’s commitment to quality and value front and centre.

A Truly Magical Christmas Campaign

The results of both our food photography and paid social efforts proved that real holiday magic happens when we collaborate seamlessly. After an extensive period of retouching, colour grading, and editing, where every detail from the crumbs to the oozy goodness was carefully perfected, we proudly delivered over 175 social media assets and 140 images. These were showcased across a variety of platforms leading up to the big day. The team at Asda was thrilled with the outcome, and we’re already excited to break out our party hats and Christmas jumpers once again for next year’s festivities.

“We’ve all been so impressed with the Eat & Breathe team, the output and how smoothly it’s gone, all whilst having fun at the same time. It’s been a breath of fresh air and has been noticed across a high number of Asda stakeholders. Thank you.”

 

Teresa Trivunvoic, Content Manager – Studio, Asda

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