Asda has signed advertising agency VCCP Blue to handle its £100m marketing account, ending its relationship with Saatchi & Saatchi.

The grocer has called time on its four-year contract with Saatchi & Saatchi and 20-year relationship with its parent company Publicis in favour of VCCP.

Under chief marketing officer Stephen Smith, who joined last year, Asda has run its Christmas campaign focused on mothers, which was branded  “sexist” by some commentators, and introduced its ‘Price Lock’ promotion, pledging to hold down the price on key staple items.

Smith said VCCP’s “strategic thinking, endless creativity and knowledge of our customer” had won it the account.

Smith added: “They understood us and most importantly, we were impressed with how they were able to capture our brand personality and voice to communicate our assets with a clarity and simplicity.”

VCCP’s most high-profile campaigns include mobile phone specialist O2’s ‘Be More Dog’ ads and Comparethemarket.com’s campaign featuring Russian meerkat Aleksandr Orlov.