Aah! Bisto is back: Gravy brand unveils first new TV advert in six years in £4million campaign after surge in new customers during pandemic

  • Gravy brand said it has attracted 4.5million new households during pandemic 
  • Its very first TV advert in six years centres on togetherness and friendship
  • It made its debut during Channel 4's Great British Bake Off and will run to March 

By Stephen Wynn-davies For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Bisto has unveiled its first new TV advert in six years as it launches a £4million push to appeal to the next generation of Britons and boost the appeal of Sunday roasts.

The advertising campaign to promote the century-old gravy brand made its debut during Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off and will remain on air until March 2022.

The advert plays on the theme of friendship and shows two young girls sharing gravy in childhood, through adulthood and into motherhood, before introducing their own children to it.

The advert ends with the traditional 'aah! Bisto'. 

Bisto says it has attracted 1million new households this year and 4.5million new households since the onset of Covid.

The advert shows two young girls sharing gravy in childhood, through adulthood and into motherhood, before introducing their own children to it

The advert shows two young girls sharing gravy in childhood, through adulthood and into motherhood, before introducing their own children to it

It is the first Bisto advert to be aired on TV since 2015, and, as it did then, it centres on the theme of togetherness

It is the first Bisto advert to be aired on TV since 2015, and, as it did then, it centres on the theme of togetherness

The two young girls are shown growing up throughout the advert, but what stays consistent is the gravy

The two young girls are shown growing up throughout the advert, but what stays consistent is the gravy

By the end of the advert, the two girls have grown into women and have children of their own, who they introduce to Bisto

By the end of the advert, the two girls have grown into women and have children of their own, who they introduce to Bisto

The company said much of its growth in 2020 was attributed to the success of its Bisto Best range.

The advert, the first from Bisto for six years, ends with the traditional 'aah! Bisto'

The advert, the first from Bisto for six years, ends with the traditional 'aah! Bisto'

It said consumers wanted the 'comfort and familiarity' of the Bisto brand and to treat themselves and their families to more premium options.

Bisto said its Bisto Best delivered 31 per cent value growth as a result, significantly ahead of the category which grew at 22 per cent.

It has rolled out a new campaign ahead of the Christmas season, as parent company Premier Foods said it focus is on 'mission critical' brand building across its wider portfolio. 

The current advert runs from October 12 to March 2022 and centres around the core theme of 'togetherness', similar to its 2015 'Spare Chair Sunday' campaign which encouraged people to invite lonely people for Sunday lunch.

Savan Sabharwal, marketing controller for Bisto at brand owner Premier Foods, told TalkingRetail.com: 'We are helping to encourage shoppers to experience our more premium offering - driving category growth and additional basket spend.

'We know that brands like Bisto played an important role during pandemic mealtimes, as people turned to products they trusted and which could provide comfort during challenging times.'

Bisto says it has attracted 1million new households this year and 4.5million new households since the onset of Covid

Bisto says it has attracted 1million new households this year and 4.5million new households since the onset of Covid

The current advert runs from October 12 to March 2022 and centres around the core theme of 'togetherness', similar to its 2015 'Spare Chair Sunday' campaign which encouraged people to invite lonely people for Sunday lunch

The current advert runs from October 12 to March 2022 and centres around the core theme of 'togetherness', similar to its 2015 'Spare Chair Sunday' campaign which encouraged people to invite lonely people for Sunday lunch

Premier Foods chief marketing officer Yilmaz Erceyes said research found almost one in every two households bought Bisto gravy at least once a year.

He said Bisto's advertising campaign was about 'building on the brand' rather than changing direction completely. 

He told Marketing Week: 'When it came to looking at the new [Bisto] execution we asked ourselves, "Do we need to create a new campaign and change direction?".

'But there was absolutely no reason to because the "Togetherness" campaign we’ve been driving we know connects emotionally with consumers, builds our brands, drives sales and strengthens share within the category.

'When you’re having a roast with your friends you’re there to build some bonds and share some stories. It’s not transactional, it’s not on-the-go eating.' 

Great British Bake Off

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