Given up the dream of becoming a film star? Haven’t we all.
But it may not be too late for your pet – the next best thing! – as big green supermarket ASDA are looking for a cat to star in their upcoming Christmas TV advert, so get your feline film ready, yeah?
In a bid to drum up some pre-Christmas advert Christmas advertising, ASDA have put the word out they’re looking for a marvellous moggy to take the lead in their 2019 advert, because Christmas adverts have become a huge cultural event these days, haven’t they. Nice one, capitalism!
If your kitty is up for it, they’ll be auditioning for the role of Mr Grumbles, though I’m going to go out on a limb and say it could be Mrs Grumbles too.
The role will reportedly see the cat display their wide-ranging personality, from grumpy and sullen to jubilant and joyous – emotions we can all relate to, especially around Christmas time, I’m sure. Having a cat portray these moods, the very essence of human nature, makes the festive season mood swings all the more relatable, doesn’t it.
Eilidh Macaskill, Vice President of Creative and Media at ASDA, said:
We want to make this Christmas the most extra special Christmas yet, so we’re pulling out all the stops to ensure we bring a little magic to screens, with the help of Mr Grumbles.
According to SurreyLive, there are no particulars when it comes to what type of cat ASDA are looking for. From the Rum Tum Tugger to Mr Mistoffelees, Macavity to a Siamese, the role of Mr (or Mrs) Grumbles is open to all cats, just not these cats.
If you think your furry feline would be the festive favourite, you can send a picture of them to ASDA on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #MrGrumbles. The casting director will then select the perfect Mr Grumbles from the submitted headshots – because who doesn’t love scrolling through pictures of cats on social media all day – before shooting the advert later this month.
According to Metro, auditions began last week in Harrogate, Yorkshire, where dozens of festive felines queued up with their humans to give stardom a shot.
If successful, your cat may well go on to National Treasure status, no doubt having their face on countless items of Christmas merchandise. Just make sure you get a piece of the action, always read the small print!
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.