Why do we roll out the Celebs at Christmas?

It has literally just dawned on me. Recently, supermarket advertising seems to have returned to the domain of the everyman. For as long as I can remember Sainsbury’s has featured the very modern family of a single mum, recently venturing into new employment with said supermarket (how wonderful of Sainsbury’s to show their empathy with broken modern Britain, it’s nice to know they care). It seems a good few years since Jamie Oliver was gracing their campaigns. Yet, this Christmas, I read that he is to return to the screen.

Similarly, think about Marks and Spencer. Of course, Mylene has become a regular occurance (isn’t her fame rooted in these appearances?). This year they have pulled the stops, including Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Stephen Fry, that bloke from Life on Mars, and, of course, darling Twiggy.

Throughout the year, supermarkets like to show us how they understand the constraints on the modern family, how pressed we are for cash, but don’t worry, your supermarket has your best interests at heart. But at Christmas, throw out this careful approach with the giblets. It seems that we are so much more susceptible to idly follow celebrities to the stores…and abandon our otherwise stringent and sensible lifestyles. Christmas: time for silly and giddy idolisation, “I’ll have one if Joanna has it!”

Here is M+S, a little treat.

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