• Sainsbury’s brings back much-loved children’s character Mog the cat in Christmas ad
  • Advert premiered for the first time last night across various TV channels
  • The ’Mog’s Christmas Calamity’ tale will also be sold in Sainsbury’s stores ahead of Christmas
  • All profits will go to Save the Children’s Read On campaign

Sainsbury’s has resurrected children’s book character Mog in a heartwarming Christmas advert as it ups the battle for festive spend.

The supermarket giant has joined forces with author Judith Kerr and her publisher HarperCollins Children’s Books to pen the new Christmas tale.

Kerr, who makes a cameo appearance in the advert, unwittingly sends the calamity-prone Mog into the midst of chaos when the oven catches fire in the early hours of Christmas morning.

But Mog accidentally calls the fire brigade, who arrive just in time to save the house from burning down completely.

Neighbours then come to the family’s aid armed with mops and brooms to help them clean up the devastation left behind by the flames, as well as festive food, drinks and decorations to help them celebrate Christmas.

Save the Children

The tear-jerking tale, titled Mog’s Christmas Calamity, will be sold as an illustrated book exclusively in Sainsbury’s for £3, alongside a £10 soft toy.

All profits from the sales will be donated to Save the Children to aid its Read On campaign, which aims to help every child become a confident reader by the age of 11.

Sainsbury’s director of planning and propositions Mark Given said: “More than any other time of year, the Christmas season is when people come together with family and friends to share simple moments and kindnesses.

“For many families the sharing of stories is an important part of their Christmas celebrations and is often a tradition that is passed down through generations.

“This year, we’re proud to be working with renowned children’s author Judith Kerr to create a magical new Mog story to be enjoyed by parents and children and to support the important cause of helping Save the Children to improve child literacy in the UK.”

The three-minute and 30-second long advert premiered across a number of channels including ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 at 7.15pm last night.

It follows the release of Christmas campaigns from a host of the grocer’s retail rivals including John Lewis, M&S, Tesco, Asda and Waitrose.

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