Waitrose's festive felony

Waitrose has unveiled it's new festive spot, and it's just the first instalment of this year's Christmas campaign.

Called Sweet Suspicion, A Waitrose Mystery the Christmas cliffhanger is a ‘whodunnit’ ad that features an all-star cast taking part in a 90-second festive felony.

The stellar ensemble of actors includes Succession's Matthew Macfadyen, comedian Joe Wilkinson, Rakhee Thakrar of Sex Education, Sian Clifford from Fleabag, Slow Horses' Dustin Demri-Burns and Eryl Maynard of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. The spot was directed by Lucy Forbes through SMUGGLER, whose recent work includes Eric and This is Going to Hurt.

Created by Saatchi & Saatchi London, the spot centres around a family of food lovers preparing for Christmas day, only to discover that the show-stopping dessert, the No.1 Waitrose Red Velvet Bauble, has gone missing. Enter Macfadyen as the amateur detective who is on a mission to uncover the culprit. Was it the disgruntled grandma? Maybe the hostess, Samira, who’s had enough of the holiday tumult? What about overworked Steve, or possibly chaotic uncle Phil? So many suspects, but who would commit such a crime?

In a new approach for Waitrose, the mystery will unfold over the next few weeks, when a 60-second film finally unveils the dessert thief to the nation - concluding the two-part campaign. “When an idea is so good - and the brand is so loved - that actors we’re not typically used to seeing in ads show up and steal the scenes - and the pudding - you know you’ve got a Christmas treat on your hands,” said Franki Goodwin, Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi. “We talk about culture a lot in this industry, but this campaign bridges the gap between Christmas advertising and big-audience entertainment. This is an entirely new direction for Waitrose at Christmas, one that we believe a brand as celebrated by British food lovers can only achieve, and it’s been a privilege to bring it to life.”

“I wonder if my extensive repertoire of past detective roles led to me to this very moment – starring in this wonderful Waitrose whodunnit," added Macfadyen. "Working with such a great cast on such a fun project for Christmas was such a joy. I think, together, we have created a story that will have the public speculating over who the pud thief really is!”