±±¾©Èü³µpk10

An intensive burst of TV advertising will be supported by press and in-store promotion.

The TV ads, which star Julie Walters, break on Friday on ITV1 during Emmerdale. They outline the breadth of Asda's Christmas offering with the line 'Christmas full of low price surprises'.

A 30-second execution will promote Asda's Extra Special premium food range, while a further 13 10-second spots will focus on specific product offers, including deals on crisps, frozen food and electrical goods.

The activity, which was created by Publicis, with media by Carat, represents a similar spend to last year, when Asda invested £13m in advertising in the last quarter of 2003, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Walters first starred in Asda's ads last year, when she played a Christmas fairy.

Asda marketing director Chris Pilling said the ads demonstrate that customers can 'live and eat well, especially at Christmas', without paying high prices.