The theme of the new advertising campaign will be Mums. Sharon will be appearing with a number of ASDA’s real-life ‘Mums in a Million’ who, like her, will talk about what it’s like to be a modern parent and how ASDA is helping make life a little easier.

The advertising reflects a new focus for ASDA. Along with being unbeatable value for the weekly family shop, ASDA plans to be number one for mums on everything from products to price, service to advice. Over the coming months it will launch a wide range of initiatives designed to make life easier for mums.

Sharon said, “I can remember taking my three kids to ASDA in Watford and doing the weekly shop. They would always ask me if they could go for breakfast in the ASDA café because ASDA cooked it better than I did! It brings back memories for me when we didn’t have so much money and I really relate to all the other mums pushing their trolleys around the store."

“There was only every one choice for the campaign,” said Chris Pilling, ASDA’s Marketing Director, “Sharon's a strong woman, a real-life mum and we believe our customers relate to her. They can see she really shares our view that everyone believes in the things mums stand for: caring, providing and coping.”

The ads will be produced by Publicis* who have worked on ASDA’s advertising campaigns since 1989.

Further information: ASDA Press Office, 0113 241 7829 Out of Hours, 0113 243 5435

Editors’ Notes

• Mums at ASDA – ASDA has a reputation for being a great place to work and shop for mums - Number one retailer for children swear (by volume), number one retailer for school wear (by volume and value) – source: Taylor Nelson Sofres market share data;
  - ASDA stores offer a range of parent-friendly services including: parent and child parking; baby-changing facilities with free nappies and wipes; bottle warmers and customer restaurants with free baby food, bibs and spoons, highchairs and special children’s meals;
  - ASDA won the Tommy’s Award for Britain’s most parent-friendly supermarket six years running;
  - 75 per cent of ASDA colleagues work part time and many are parents. Family-friendly working policies have resulted in ASDA being named one of Britain’s top companies to work for four years running (Sunday Times) and include: school-starter scheme; grandparents’ leave; IVF leave and up to 52 weeks maternity, paternity or adoption leave.
• About ASDA - ASDA has 272 stores (England 225, Scotland 34 and Wales 13) and 24 depots throughout Britain. It has been part of the Wal-Mart family since 1999;
• ASDA, Britain’s Best Value Supermarket - ASDA has been named Britain’s best value retailer seven years running by leading industry magazine The Grocer. The Grocer 33 is a weekly comparison of 33 regularly shopped items across all the main supermarket retailers. From these weekly comparisons an overall annual winner is chosen.