In a captivating conclusion to its highly successful 2024 Christmas campaign, Waitrose has unveiled the identity of the dessert thief in the second part of its advertisement series.
The advert series, a significant component of Waitrose’s most extensive Christmas campaign to date, has captivated audiences across social media, television, and digital platforms, amassing over 150 million views. The storyline, crafted by Saatchi & Saatchi, revolves around a ‘whodunnit’ theme that invited viewers to speculate on which character absconded with the dessert.
Polling on Waitrose.com and the retailer’s social media channels engaged customers in guessing the culprit’s identity. Among the public, Fig the Cat emerged as the top suspect with 18% of the votes, followed closely by Gamma with 17% and May with 15%. Steve, remarkably, was considered the least likely, gathering only 8% of the votes.
The much-anticipated reveal came during the Great British Bake Off and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here broadcasts. The detective, portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen, unveils that Steve was the one who slyly hid the No.1 Waitrose Red Velvet Bauble Dessert within a gingerbread house. His enjoyment of the dessert was ultimately discovered in the family garden shed.
Once the mystery is solved, the ad concludes with the family coming together to enjoy the dessert. The campaign not only engaged viewers in a playful guessing game but also strengthened community interactions through social media polls and customer involvement. Nathan Ansell, Waitrose’s customer director, expressed his delight at the familial and communal spirit fostered by the campaign: ‘The last few weeks have been filled with suspicion, guessing and alibis. Customers and partners have been immersing themselves in the
The second instalment of the Waitrose Christmas advert not only provided a joyful resolution to the mystery but also exemplified the power of interactive campaigns in engaging a broad audience.
