Supermarket chain Morrisons has decided to part ways with television entertainers Ant and Dec for future advertising campaigns, according to reports in the UK press.
The comedy duo have fronted numerous campaigns for the supermarket after singning a multi-million pound deal back in 2013.
Last week, the supermarket reported its worst results in eight years and as a result, the company is believed to be shifting its ads towards value and quality in a bid to fight competition from discount supermarkets such as Lidl and Aldi.
According to a report in the Mail on Sunday, Morrisons terminated the deal because it wanted to focus on value credentials and the quality of its food, which the duo no longer represent. However, it added that according to sources close to Ant and Dec, the duo were offered another 12 month contract but turned it down.
Analyst Bryan Roberts of Kanter Retail commented to the Mail, "People turn on the television and see two incredibly wealthy lads being well paid to advertise a supermarket which is supposed to be helping us save money."
A new multimillion-pound integrated campaign is scheduled to break on Saturday 28 March which will feature a number of celebrities but not Ant and Dec.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Ciara Mooney.
