Asda to push own label brand in TV slots

The multi-million pound campaign, which will feature twice during tonight's Coronation Street, features Asda baker Mike Cunliffe from the Leeds-based supermarket chain's Stockport store.

The new campaign will initially focus on the relaunched bakery range and will run until October 17. Following the initial campaign there will be more advertisements in the run up to Christmas featuring other revamped ranges and staff from within the group's stores.

Asda is investing 100m on the relaunch of its mid-tier own brand label after admitting the previous range had become "invisible".

Chief executive Andy Clarke launched the "Chosen by you" range last week, following an intense nine months of testing and reformulating products to improve their quality.

Of the 100m investment, a third is being spent on product improvement, a third on new packaging using the "Chosen by you" logo and a third on marketing including the new TV advertising campaign.

The new range is championing the consumer in order to focus on the sort of products they want to see in store.

Some 40,000 consumers have taken part in 200,000 blind taste tests across the UK to produce the new range.

The move is part of a campaign by Asda to add quality and service to its value principle.

"Asda has always focused on price and we will continue to do that, but consumers are also demanding quality and service," said Mr Clarke. "This is the biggest own brand relaunch in UK history."

The range will have 3,500 individual products including 500 entirely new ones and 1,000 reformulated products.

The "Chosen by you" products are expected to make annual sales of 8bn-9bn.

Emma Fox, commercial director for the Asda brand, said the relaunch was a fundamental change to the mid tier own label brand. "Our own brand range accounts for half of our sales, but the most important range we have has been invisible and unloved," she said.

The new products include a range of cakes from Whoopie pies to Lemon Daisy cupcakes, freshly baked speciality and artisan breads, low fat soups and bistro hot pies.