The BFG is back in Sainsbury’s 2025 Christmas ad “The Unexpected Guest”!
Sainsbury’s latest Christmas advert, The Unexpected Guest, revives Roald Dahl’s lovable BFG (Big Friendly Giant) for a new festive caper. After last year’s successful BFG campaign, this 90-second spot adds a “Greedy Giant” into the mix as a surprise visitor to every Christmas dinner table. The premise is simple and whimsical: Sainsbury’s delivery driver Annie (a real Sainsbury’s colleague) is on the job with the BFG when a 48-foot giant suddenly appears and literally gobbles their van-load of food. He laughs that the “Taste the Difference” goodies are “tastier than human beans”, an overt Dahl-style pun, then rampages through town raiding holiday feasts (canapés, gammon, sprouts, pigs-in-blankets, turkey centerpiece) right out of people’s homes. Annie rings the alarm – “BFG, we’ve got an unexpected guest!” – and the giant’s name and mission are revealed: he’s the BFG’s mischievous older brother, the Greedy Giant, on the hunt for delicious food. The friends race to replace the stolen dishes, eventually luring the sleeping giant back to a Sainsbury’s store. There the giant, having devoured so much, snoozes outside, and staff quickly whisk him away. The commercial ends warmly as Annie invites the BFG to join her family for Christmas lunch, and the final tagline appears: “Want to be ready for anything this Christmas? Ask Sainsbury’s,” followed by the brand’s promise of “good food for all of us.”.
Memorable
The ad scores points for nostalgia and spectacle. Reprising the BFG instantly tugs at viewers’ memories of Dahl’s gentle giant, and the giant-versus-giant plot adds comic excitement. The giant’s outrageous eating spree – crashing through rooftops to snatch turkey and truffles – is a vivid, scene-stealing moment that’s sure to stick in the mind. At the same time, it’s built around a simple, self-contained story (a high-concept “monster invades Christmas feast”) that viewers of all ages can follow. The production uses polished CGI and puppetry to bring both giants to life, and the festive settings (snowy streets, cozy kitchens, Sainsbury’s aisles) are rich and colorful. Overall the story feels like a miniature family-friendly adventure film – a “classic Christmas caper” as the agency put it – rather than a flat product showcase.
Effective
As a marketing piece, the ad does an obvious job of highlighting Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference premium range. The giants literally eat the products on offer – from Dry Cure Gammon and Gourmet Canapés to a succulent Taste the Difference turkey – which underlines the slogan that these foods are worth saving and praising.Even the giant’s line about “tastier than human beans” (a direct nod to Dahl’s playful lingo) is a cheeky way of saying the food is so good it beats even people’s usual favorites. By the end, viewers have seen most of the festive staples on screen. Sainsbury’s CMO Radha Davies notes they carefully chose only products compliant with the new UK HFSS (high fat, sugar, salt) ad rules – a detail that may escape most viewers, but shows the supermarket ensured the spread could air freely on TV. On the whole, the advert makes the brand message clear: Sainsbury’s has “quality, good food” that will save Christmas from disaster.
Style
Visually and tonally, The Unexpected Guest plays like a blend of a Dahl storybook and a modern kids’ movie. The giants are suitably larger-than-life but depicted in a friendly way (even the “Greedy Giant” has a cartoony look, not too scary). There’s a lot of slapstick action (a city rampage, food flying everywhere) underlined by whimsical music and playful sound effects (giant munching, plates crashing). The presence of Annie as a real store worker grounds the fantasy a bit; seeing her team up with the BFG adds authenticity. LBBOnline praises the campaign for “lashings of mouth-watering Sainsbury’s Christmas grub” as part of this caperl. The vibe is light-hearted and magical rather than sentimental – there isn’t a tearjerker moment, but there is a cozy finale of shared holiday cheer. Some reviewers might note it leans on nostalgia (since the BFG is “loved by all”) and a fairytale style, which differentiates it from more down-to-earth ads, but that’s a conscious choice by Sainsbury’s to feel playful.
Heart or Humor
The tone leans more toward humor with a dash of heart at the end. The bulk of the ad is a fun chase scene – Annie chasing the giant, the giant gobbling foods, witty one-liners (“Swipe my swoggles, he’s swolloped the shop!”) – which brings several laugh-out-loud moments. The only truly heartwarming beat comes at the very close, with Annie inviting the BFG home to break bread together. That short scene is sweet (one supermarket employee inviting a giant friend in for dinner) but overall the advert’s emotional note is light. It’s a departure from the melancholic or tear-jerking style of some rivals; instead it sells holiday joy through adventure and comedy. This fits Sainsbury’s usual “good food, good cheer” branding. The brand clearly pitched it as a feel-good story: Radha Davies said the BFG’s 2024 ad brought “lots of happy memories” and they wanted that same joyful energy in 2025. The humor is approachable (silly giant business) so it can get a family giggling together, which is in line with Sainsbury’s family-friendly image.
Execution
On execution, the ad is ambitious and well-produced, but not without thin spots. The special effects and costumes for the giants look convincing enough to be engaging (given the budget of a supermarket ad), and the pacing keeps things moving briskly. Using a colleague from the real workforce (Annie) is a nice touch of authenticity. The CGI food looks yummy, probably making viewers’ mouths water – which is a success for an ad about food. One could criticize that the plot is obvious and serves the marketing, but the creative team leans into that with charm. The writing is clever enough (“human beans” pun, giant’s rhyme) to entertain children without puzzling them too much. Perhaps the only weak point is that, aside from the final scene, the humans in the story don’t have much personality – the focus is squarely on the giants and the food. In sum, it’s a slick, high-energy spot that mostly delivers on its own terms, even if it doesn’t aim to be a tear-jerker or profound narrative.
Critique and Controversies: On balance, the advert has garnered mostly positive public reaction so far. Viewers on social platforms have praised its creativity, Dalh-inspired fun, and festive spirit (the YouTube comments are overwhelmingly upbeat). Still, a thorough critique must note the potential flashpoints. First, the obvious: this is a very advertising-heavy concept. Some critics might argue it’s blatant product placement – we’re literally watching the giant eat Sainsbury’s meals – but that’s par for the course in Christmas supermarket ads. The formula of a “rescue-the-Christmas-feast” story is not new, so opinions may vary on whether it feels fresh or just a safe bet. Second, health regulations: UK rules on junk food ads tightened in late 2025. Sainsbury’s insists it planned by only featuring HFSS-compliant items. Even so, one might raise an eyebrow at the glamorous display of roast dinners and pigs in blankets during a time when obesity campaigns are loud. In fact, analysts note that earlier festive ads would have been banned under the new rules – so Sainsbury’s had to navigate that carefully. Whether a giant eating gammon is “healthy” is debatable, but the brand went to great lengths to avoid breaking any regulations. Third, while The Unexpected Guest itself hasn’t sparked outrage, it’s worth recalling how Christmas ads can hit nerves. For context, a Sainsbury’s Christmas spot in 2020 (unrelated to this one) faced a wave of racist abuse online, simply for featuring a Black father and daughter. In other words, any advert can attract trolls for unexpected reasons. This year’s fantasy theme has so far steered clear of that kind of controversy – the conversation online is mostly about whether the ad is fun or too commercial. (In contrast, competitor John Lewis last year chose a subdued, message-driven ad about foster children because of the “cost of living” mood; Sainsbury’s 2025 spot is far more escapist and indulgent, which some might view as tone-deaf in hard times. However, Sainsbury’s maintains people still want magical stories and delicious treats at Christmas, not lectures.)
Some commentators have also pondered the sustainability angle: the giant’s feast-everywhere antics might look like a fun dream, but real families worry about food waste. The advert doesn’t address that – it cheerfully discards leftovers as we laugh. One could say this glosses over any profound message. But then, is a Christmas commercial supposed to do that? We note that The Unexpected Guest is primarily intended to entertain. It achieves that with gusto.In conclusion, this new Sainsbury’s ad is a whimsical, appetite-tempting piece that effectively taps into nostalgia and holiday humor. It doesn’t shy away from its commercial intent. Yet, it wraps it in enough Dahl magic and charity tie-ins (the brand is also offering BFG-themed food products in stores and partnering with Comic Relief to donate meals) to generate goodwill. For viewers who love a colorful, gobble-up-the-food story, it’s an enjoyable watch. Those seeking a deeper emotional impact or a more nuanced message may prefer
