"Good Idea" Christmas television commercial

Television commercial (40 seconds) promoting Sainsbury’s “make and buy Christmas”. It shows examples of foods that customers could make using recipes from Sainsbury’s The Magazine, and foods they could buy which were ready made. The advert was filmed on 29th October to 1st November 1996 at Park Way Studios and was due to air on television from 17 November 1996.

Features the following suggestions:
Make - Ruth Watson's turkey recipe with ricotta, courgette and parmesan stuffing
Buy - Sainsbury's pork pie with cranberry topping
Make - Nigel Slater's quick stirfry sprouts
Buy - Sainsbury's Occasions canapés
Make - mincemeat croustade
Buy - Christmas Pudding icecream
Make - Delia Smith's sinful chocolate trifle

There are two versions of the commercial which appear to be almost identical but on one the voiceover ends “Christmas at Sainsbury’s. Now that’s a good idea” and one ends "Christmas at Sainsbury's. Either way you've got it made". The 'Either Way' version seems (based on scripts in the advertising agency file for this advert) to be an old version of the advert which was probably not broadcast. The voiceover is by Felicity Kendal (actor). The background music is entitled “Thirty Something” – the theme to various 1990s Sainsbury’s adverts (it was originally the theme tune for a US television programme, but a new arrangement was made by Garry Bell for Sainsbury's). It was slightly altered to included Christmas effects for this advert..

Advertising agency: AMV. Clock number (reference number for the advert) AMV/SAGI380/040.