Asda has appointed Havas London as its new creative advertising agency.

The supermarket launched a review of its advertising account in January and will now separate from AMV. AMV had had the account since 2018 and launched a major new campaign last year bringing back the supermarket’s famous pocket-sized campaign to publicize its £100m price cut campaign.

Havas will take charge of the strategic development of the Asda and George brand and the supermarket’s CSR programme, starting with its September campaign.

The deal also includes creative development and execution for the Asda brand.

AMV hoped to recapture the advertising magic of Asda with the return of the campaign last year, which first appeared in Asda adverts in 1977 and featured Julie Walters, Richard Beckinsale and Michael Owen.

The new ad campaign featured an updated Asda Price jingle and featured a real-life family – Sunny, Amy and their three children, who also featured in its Christmas ad campaign.

“We are looking for a true agency partner who understands the personality of Asda and can bring our customers and the communities we serve to life,” said Eilidh MacAskill, Asda’s Vice President of Creative and Marketing.

“The strategic thinking and creativity of the Havas team really stood out and we look forward to working with them.

“We also want to thank the AMV team for their fantastic work and partnership over the past three years to help us land memorable campaigns, and we wish them the best for the future.”

Xavier Rees, CEO of Havas London, said: “We are extremely proud to have been chosen by Asda. It’s an iconic brand that deserves brilliant publicity and we can’t wait to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in.