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Could the love affair between Jamie and Sainsbury’s be on the rocks?

Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Nikki Preston, Latest reporters' blogs January 9th, 2008 by Nikki Preston

Jamie Oliver is paid millions of pounds to be the spokesperson for Sainsbury’s, yet (as Sainsbury’s have learnt this week) even all that money won’t keep the Essex lad from saying what he really thinks about his employer.

I wonder how chief executive Justin King feels about Oliver outing Sainsbury’s about its unwillingness to enter negotiations regarding the treatment of chickens and selling poultry at such bargain basement prices. The outburst doesn’t exactly portray Oliver as a loyal Sainsbury’s customer.

After seven years with the supermarket, could Sainsbury’s finally cut ties with the naked chef and look for a new innovative way of promoting that doesn’t require celebrities?

This could be the best thing to happen to Sainsbury’s. I for one am getting sick and tired of retail giants using celebrities in their marketing campaigns. Tesco has the Spice Girls, Asda and Morrison’s have a string of C-list celebrities including James Nesbitt and Denise Van Outen, M&S uses Twiggy, Myleene and the gang… So if Sainsbury’s was to drop Jamie, this would actually give them a point of difference.

I don’t suppose they would consider Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall either after his latest documentary slating supermarkets for selling cheap chickens…