Celebrating 10 Years

Sainsbury’s - Commercial

THE BRIEF

Sainsbury's and Pilgrim's UK recently celebrated a decade-long partnership, marking ten years of collaboration across food production, supply and sustainability. To commemorate the milestone, the brief called for a film that would showcase the relationship between the two organisations and the shared values that have shaped their work together.

Across the partnership, both companies have focused on key priorities including maintaining safe working environments for colleagues, achieving standards that exceed industry benchmarks, and continuing to improve their environmental impact. The film needed to reflect these achievements while also looking ahead to the ambitions and goals that will shape the next decade of collaboration.

From a production perspective, the challenge lay in representing two major brands within a single visual narrative. The brief emphasised the importance of respecting the established branding and tone of both organisations, while ensuring the film still felt cohesive and unified. Creatively, the approach leaned into a sense of momentum and shared purpose — using dynamic camera movement and energetic compositions to mirror the strength and progress of the partnership itself.

THE VISUALS

Much of this shoot took place in environments with practical production constraints, including a live chicken coop and an active supermarket. These locations required careful consideration of camera, lighting and grip packages, as well as a streamlined crew to remain agile without disrupting the spaces we were working in.

Given these conditions, the visual approach leaned heavily on available light. I developed a bright, open palette with warm tonal qualities that subtly echoed the familiarity of Sainsbury’s brand identity. By embracing the natural lighting within each location, the film retained an authentic, lived-in feel while still maintaining a polished commercial aesthetic.

Lens choice was key in supporting this approach. I selected Cooke S8i primes for their modern sharpness combined with the characterful warmth of the classic ‘Cooke Look’. This balance allowed the images to feel clean and contemporary while preserving a sense of depth and texture. For more ambitious compositions, I introduced a Laowa 12mm, whose wide field of view and minimal distortion provided dynamic perspective without compromising the integrity of the frame.