Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Waitrose airs its ‘most creatively sophisticated ad yet’ for the first time today (Sunday November 13) during ITV’s ‘The X Factor’ (8-9pm).
Called ‘Coming Home’, the 90-second advert focuses on the migration of a young Scandinavian robin on an eventful journey, across mountains and seas, home to Britain.
When he finally reaches his destination in a UK garden, the robin is reunited with his feathered companion to enjoy a festive treat – a Waitrose 1 mince pie – left for him by a young girl, who has eagerly awaited his annual return.
The theme is the spirit of connection at the festive season and the joy of welcoming guests, because – in the words of the end-line – ‘At Christmas, there’s nothing quite like Waitrose’.
The robin’s journey is matched by a soundtrack by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, who has adapted his track ‘Cambridge, 1963’ from his Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-winning score for ‘The Theory of Everything’.
The supermarket chain’s marketing director Rupert Thomas said: “Coming home is a central theme at Christmas when welcoming, hosting and providing a special meal for loved ones, is at the heart of celebrations.
“Sharing the best possible food and drink with family and friends is one of the great joys of the festive period and we hope that the determination of our robin resonates with viewers, as they follow his journey back to where he belongs.
“It’s a story of love, courage and the importance of enjoyment with family and friends.”
The advert, which has been created by adam&eveDDB, follows grocery multiple’s spring adverts, which centred around the provenance of good food using innovative filming techniques to bring viewers close to the sources of some of the items produced by Waitrose farmers and growers around the UK.
A book telling the story of the Christmas advert will arrive in branches and independent book shops from Monday (November 14).
The film will feature in cinemas (2D from November 14 and 3D in December) while a game, developed by Manning Gottlieb OMD, will give social media followers an interactive experience of the robin’s journey home.
The appearance of a robin occurs throughout the rest of the Christmas marketing activity at Waitrose, both in store and online. There will be various robin-related products available in store to coincide with the launch of the advert, including kitchenware, clothing, toys and gift wrap.
