Sainsbury’s and the Roald Dahl Story Company have reunited for a third consecutive Christmas campaign, with the beloved BFG returning for a new festive adventure. Building on the success of the previous two campaigns, this year’s festive advert takes viewers on an epic journey into Giant Country, bringing even more of Roald Dahl’s imaginative worlds to life, the advert sees the BFG feeling under the weather and worried that he might miss Christmas. Determined to make sure her giant friend doesn’t miss out, returning Sainsbury’s colleague Annie sets off on a daring delivery mission with her sidekick Fred, transporting a delicious festive feast through Giant Country. Along the way, they encounter a series of obstacles, including an enormous Squizzly Scotch-Hopper and the mischievous Greedy Giant, before finally arriving at the BFG’s cave to share a heartwarming Christmas meal.
Born Licensing has continued to represent the Roald Dahl Story Company in delivering its global partnership strategy through advertising campaigns that authentically bring its characters and story worlds to life, with creative storytelling at the heart of this approach. The campaign’s return for a third consecutive year also reflects the enduring power of the Roald Dahl IP to connect with cross-generational audiences, reflecting both its continued relevance and audiences’ appetite to engage more deeply with these beloved characters.
For this year’s campaign, the agency facilitated the creative collaboration between the licensor and Sainsbury’s creative agency, New Commercial Arts. Together, the teams explored more of The BFG’s heartwarming lore, giving audiences a glimpse into the craggy, mystical Giant Country and some of its fantastical inhabitants
From the BFG’s whimsical cave and the return of the Greedy Giant to the introduction of the enormous Squizzly Scotch-Hopper, the campaign incorporates recognisable elements of Roald Dahl’s storytelling while creating an entirely new adventure for Sainsbury’s. The Roald Dahl Story Company, Born Licensing and NCA worked collaboratively to ensure the creative interpretation remained faithful to the characters, their personalities and the distinctive world of the original story.
David Born, CEO of Born Licensing, comments, “Fictional characters are already one of the most effective tools in advertising, because audiences know and love them before a campaign even starts. When a brand features the same character year after year, it gets a compounding benefit, with each campaign building on the last. The BFG was already cherished by British families, and each Sainsbury’s campaign has taken the story further, this year right into Giant Country.”
Alice O’Brien, Head of Global Commercial Partnerships at the Roald Dahl Story Company, comments, “We’re delighted to bring the BFG back for a third consecutive Christmas campaign. It has been fantastic to see him become such a much-loved part of the festive season for audiences. The Roald Dahl stories are so rich in imagination and detail, and this year it has been especially exciting to explore more of the craggy mystical Giant Country and bring a new chapter of the BFG’s world to screen in a way that feels authentic to the original story. It’s a testament to the enduring appeal of these characters that there is still such warmth and enthusiasm for seeing more of their world brought to life.”
The advert was created by New Commercial Arts, directed by Sam Brown through Rogue Films, with visual effects and post-production by Electric Theatre Collective.
The campaign premiered on television on Sunday 1 November 2026, with the full two-minute film also launching on Sainsbury’s YouTube channel. The 90” advert will also be supported by a series of 60”, 40” and 20” films across TV, social and online.
