Bisto Shows Powerful Role Of The Roast In Keeping Friendships

The heart-warming campaign from McCann London marks the return of the brand on TV after six years

By Creative Salon

13 October 2021

Bisto returns to TV with the first new campaign since Spare Chair Sundays in 2015, with a heart-warming ad which celebrates the powerful role of the roast in keeping friendships nourished.

Created by McCann London, 'Sticking Together' tells the touching through-the-ages story of two women’s friendship over the course of 30 years and many shared roasts. From Sundays spent at each other’s houses, to student digs, to boyfriends, to break-ups, to finally having families of their own; the spot champions the humble Sunday roast as a timeless bonding ritual. The glue that keeps their friendship strong when everything else around them is changing.

Devised in-between lockdowns, this campaign was inspired by the 2020/2021 cultural narrative around friendships; the strain placed on them by lockdown, and the realization that we could all put more effort into them.

It marks the first time the brand has moved away from focusing primarily on families, in a bid to appeal to younger audiences and recruit a “new generation” of gravy buyers.

The film was directed by Sweetshop’s Nicolas Jack Davies, the director behind last year’s Starbuck’s commercial 'What’s Your Name'. It was produced through Craft. Media was handled through Carat, with PR delivered through Cirkle.

Savan Sabharwal, marketing controller for Bisto at Premier Foods. said: “We’re extremely proud of the heritage Bisto carries and that it continues to bring people together over delicious, home cooked food. Our latest campaign helps us continue to strengthen our brand equity and top of mind awareness, whilst delivering relevancy and consideration of Bisto Best for a broader repertoire of meals, particularly among a new generation of gravy consumers.

"This beautiful creative was vital in achieving this and with Christmas this year set to be extra special, the ad is set to really resonate with our target audience. Given the challenges and restrictions of the last year, being together with our loved ones over the seasonal period will be more important than ever before. We know that comforting and familiar meals with gravy, and Bisto at the heart of, shared across generations to be very true to who we are as a nation, and consumers are emotionally connected to that idea.”

James Crosby & Will Cottam, creative directors at McCann London, said: “After a year of us all keeping our distance, it’s now time to get back together again with friends.

"And there’s no denying the power and gravitational pull that a Sunday roast has to make this happen. But of course, no roast will ever be complete without the Bisto gravy that holds it all together.”

CREDITS

Project Name: Sticking Together

Client Name: Premier Foods - Bisto

Premier Foods

Chief Marketing Officer: Yilmaz Erceyes

Marketing Director: Helen Touchais

Marketing Controller: Savan Sabharwal

Insights Controller: Emma Whale

Brand Manager: Kate McGrath

McCann London

Creative Agency:  McCann London

Chief Creative Officers: Laurence Thomson & Rob Doubal