The rebranding of the Co-operative has been underway for two years with the aim of bringing together the movement’s different brands such as Food, Funeralcare and Financial Services.
The Co-operative said the campaign aims to show why it is different from other brands. The revamp of the retail network has been one of the priorities for the Co-operative's director of marketing, Patrick Allen, since he took the post 18 months ago.
Obtaining permission from Dylan is something of a coup for the Co-operative and it has been suggested the group’s ethical stance played a part in Dylan's decision.
The singer has previously appeared in US ads for , where he shared scowling screen time with a scantily clad model and his song 'Love Sick' was the soundtrack, and . His music has also been used in an iTunes ad.
Dylan also allowed 'Knocking on Heaven’s Door' to be used in 1996 to help raise funds for the victims of the Dunblane killings. It was the first time he allowed the lyrics to a song to be changed.
Allen said: "When we put the ad together we were astounded that no-one had ever used 'Blowin' in the Wind' in this context before. We felt the sentiments expressed in Dylan's masterpiece summed up the optimism we have for the Co-operative."