It's Bake or Break with Sylvester Stallone in Epic New Warburtons Film

The UK’s No 1 food brand returns to TV screens with brand new campaign ‘The Deliverers’.  The ad will be introduced to viewers during a special one off ‘ITV presents’ slot in the first ad break of Britain’s Got Talent. 

The epic 110 second advert, starring Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone, is the centrepiece of a major £18 million through the line campaign and is supported by print, outdoor, PR and social media activity. 

Filmed in the style of a blockbuster movie trailer, the campaign, created by WCRS, highlights the extreme lengths that Warburtons go to in order to deliver over two million loaves of fresh bread to over 16,000 stores every day through its impressive delivery network. ‘The Deliverers’ is inspired by some of Sylvester’s most famous films, Rocky and The Expendables, but done in a tongue in cheek way that allows the star to showcase some great comic timing as well as some impressive muscles. In the action packed ad, Sly plays a baker and delivery driver and stars alongside the true heroes of the piece – Warburtons real-life delivery drivers and bakers.  

Andy Lee and Jonny Porthouse from WCRS were responsible for the art direction and copywriting respectively, and worked alongside executive creative director, Billy Faithfull. The ad was directed by Declan Lowney through Another Film Company. 

Warburtons is the Wrapped Bakery market leader, with a 26.4% value share of Wrapped Bakery. The campaign is on a scale not seen before in the Wrapped Bakery category and will shine a spotlight on bakery aisles across the UK.  

Jonathan Warburton said: “We are the biggest baker in the UK to deliver fresh bread everyday. Our team of bakers and delivery drivers work around the clock, 362 days a year, to get fresh bread into the nation’s supermarkets all year round.”

“Sylvester Stallone is famous for characters that have determination and a will to never give-up, just like our army of delivery drivers. Sylvester was a natural behind the wheel of the Warburtons trucks, although we did need to remind him to get in the right-hand side of the cab. I’ve let him know that if he ever fancies a change of career there will be job delivering fresh bread waiting for him”.

Commenting on the advert, Sylvester Stallone said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Bolton and particularly loved spending time in the bakery. Maybe I should have stopped beating up bad guys a long time ago and gone into baking instead.”

Billy Faithfull, executive creative director at WCRS said: “Sometimes lightning strikes just where you want it to. An ambitious client with a great story to tell. A killer script. And a star not only willing to do it, but confident enough in himself to self-deprecate like a hero, matched only by the heroic efforts Warburtons themselves go to, to get your bread on the shelves on a daily basis.

Finish did the visual effects and grading on this commercial. VFX supervisor and Lead Flame Artist Jason Watts explains, “We worked closely with Declan and WCRS throughout the process making sure each shot achieved the desired creative output. We have a wealth of experience in our team which meant that we were able to provide effects that complemented the feel of this fantastic campaign but remain invisible.”

Director, Declan Lowney, comments on Finish’s work, "The guys at Finish wrapped up our Warburtons commercial very nicely. They worked hand in hand with us through the whole post-process - truly a fit like an oven-glove. Everyone at Finish went that extra mile and the results were anything but half-baked.”