A BIG Win: Sainsbury’s 2024 Christmas Campaign Featuring the BFG Picks Up Double Award Nods

Written By huglondon

THE BFG AMONGST FINALISTS AT THE IPM AWARDS AND UK LICENSING AWARDS

Christmas in the UK isn’t just a season – it’s the moment in the advertising industry. Basically as huge as the SuperBowl in the US. In 2024, Sainsbury’s Christmas campaign delivered festive magic on a giant scale, featuring Roald Dahl’s beloved character, the BFG, alongside a real Sainsbury’s colleague, Sophie. Now, that giant-hearted storytelling has been recognised on the industry stage – nominated for not one, but TWO major awards: the 2025 IPM Awards and the 2025 UK Licensing Awards.

Why The Campaign Captivated Audiences

The campaign followed a simple but beautiful premise: the BFG searches for a Christmas dinner that’s more “phizz-whizzing” than snozzcumber, alongside Sophie, a real colleague from Sainsbury’s. Together they journey to suppliers, uncover Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference range in homes across the country, and end with a magical, food-filled feast in a dream cave.

It wasn’t just the story that captured imaginations – it was the craft. Directed by Sam Brown, the ad combined practical effects, impressive post-production by ETC, tactile set design and a heart-warming music score.

Creativity Meets Effectiveness

The creative didn’t just charm audiences; it delivered results. It became Sainsbury’s best-rated festive ad to date on System1’s Test Your Ad platform, scoring the maximum 5.9-stars across emotion, sales impact, and brand fluency. It was also crowned the official “winner of Christmas 2024” by Kantar, with the supermarket achieving 3.5% sales growth and its highest market share since 2019. 

This is the power of character-led advertising: it connects instantly, it stirs emotion, and when executed with care, it moves the commercial needle too.

Award-Nominated Across the Board

The campaign has now been shortlisted at:

For Born Licensing, being part of a project that has landed on both shortlists is a proud moment, one that highlights the role of licensing as a creative catalyst. Here’s to more campaigns that prove characters aren’t just for entertainment – they’re for advertising history.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR WORK WITH THE BFG

 

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