Marks & Spencer has unveiled a new marketing campaign focusing on the quality of its food spearheaded by a Tom Kerridge-starring TV ad.

The campaign, carrying the message “This Is Not Just Food – It’s Never Just Food” makes its broadcast debut on ITV1 and will be backed by an outdoor and print drive.

M&S wants the campaign to differentiate it from its rivals as the crucial Christmas trading period nears.

The TV ad features chef Kerridge “sharing what he has learned about the lengths M&S and its farmers go to for quality produce”. The outdoor and print elements will highlight “what M&S always does to deliver products made from the very best ingredients and to high animal welfare and environmental standards, and what it never does so customers can have confidence in the food they are feeding their families”.

M&S marketing director of food and hospitality Sharry Cramond said: Our customers are more interested than ever in where their food comes from, as well as what is in it, for when they are feeding their families.

“They also really care about animal welfare and the welfare of our farmers and suppliers, too. So we wanted to shout about what really sets us apart from other supermarkets when it comes to quality and ingredients.

“Who better to tell our story than Tom Kerridge who has starred in our highly successful Farm to Foodhall adverts the past year? Since joining the M&S family, last year Tom’s been on a UK tour meeting our M&S suppliers and farmers and he said that he hadn’t realised just how advanced we were when it comes to our quality, our leading animal welfare and the ingredients we use