Asda and Sharon Osbourne part company after less than a year

by Sam Matthews, Brand Republic 19-Sep-05, 09:30

LONDON - Sharon Osbourne, 'X Factor' judge and wife of the rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, has quit as the face of supermarket giant Asda after completing just seven months of a year-long contract.

According to the Mail on Sunday, the two sides are keen to play down the split with Asda refusing to blame Osbourne for the campaign's demise.

"We signed Sharon up to do a maximum of seven ads and a maximum of 11. She's done everything we required of her," a spokesman said.

Meanwhile, Osbourne, who is currently judging the second series of ITV's 'X Factor', is blaming a hectic work schedule for not continuing to represent the supermarket chain.

Osbourne, who signed with the supermarket chain in February, starred in TV ads and billboards for Asda, created by the supermarket's long-time agency Publicis.

The campaign, "Mums in a million," showed Osbourne testing out an Asda store and talking to its customers and staff. It introduced a new strapline, "Pocketing the difference" replacing "Always low prices".

The move was a departure from previous campaigns by Asda, which have used real-life mums to promote its low-cost positioning.

Critics of the ads said Osbourne was an unsuitable face for Asda because she is a multi-millionairess, wears suits and has admitted to extensive plastic surgery to improve her looks -- a far cry from typical working mums who use the store.

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