Waitrose Keeps the Party Going with a Christmas Ad that's So Graham Norton

Today (2nd November 2023) Waitrose launches its first Christmas campaign with new partners Saatchi & Saatchi, with It’s Time for the Good Stuff at the core of the creative, along with the Waitrose brand promise of Food to Feel Good About. The soundtrack for the advert is the party anthem ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ from Depeche Mode. 

For many, November marks a moment of Christmas tradition with the start of the festive adverts, and this year, Waitrose's 90 second advert is a celebration of the ‘Good Stuff’, with food and drink as a highlight of Christmas for families and friends - because when the food’s good, everything’s good. Waitrose showcases this through a fun Christmas party where things go slightly awry, but no one notices because the food is just that good. 

The fun-filled advert, which has been created by Saatchi & Saatchi and shot by acclaimed film director Autumn De Wilde, centres around a number of relatable Christmas moments: guests arriving too early, people getting locked in a bathroom, a power cut and even an unexpected cameo appearance from Graham Norton bringing the No.1 Golden Bûche de Noël to the party. Each of these minor mishaps are quickly forgotten thanks to delicious Waitrose food, including, No.1 Crumble Top Mince Pies with Cranberry & Orange, Shimmering Salmon Mousse, No.1 Florentine-inspired Panettone and Christmas Winter Village Chocolate Box - because “when the food’s good, everything’s good.” 

Nathan Ansell, Waitrose customer director, said, “When it comes to Christmas, delicious food and drink play a central role in creating special moments for all the celebrations. We know that Christmas isn’t always smooth sailing and there is bound to be a hiccup or two along the way. However, these inconveniences are always forgotten while you’re busy enjoying delicious food, surrounded by your loved ones and creating magical memories. And let’s face it, at Christmas it really is time for the good stuff, as when the food’s good, everything else is good.”

Graham Norton, said, “What a treat it was to be invited to such a fun party and to feature in this joyful Christmas campaign with Waitrose. It was quite a night, and after sampling so many delicious products from the festive range, I’ve got my order in already for the big day – because it’s Christmas, and it’s time for the good stuff. Now, is it too early to cut into another Golden Bûche de Noël?”

Franki Goodwin, chief creative officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, said, “It’s my personal and professional opinion that food at Christmas fixes everything. You can get the odd present, or outfit or quiz question wrong but if the food (and the wine) is good then everything will be good. This joyful campaign is simply that played out at scale and with real heart  – you can rely on Waitrose for the good stuff, and the rest is well… it’s gravy isn’t it?”

The TV and BVOD spot is just the beginning, as a number of OOH - including DOOH and bespoke special builds - print, radio, social and digital executions will follow the launch of our AV assets. 

All channels are being planned and bought by MG OMD. The creative, which champions the Christmas range in each execution, features a range of Good promises for the festive season, including ‘Good excuse to eat cake for breakfast’ and ‘Good luck saving leftovers.’

Our series of product specific adverts, running from 6th November, highlight key products from this year’s festive range as part of a multimedia campaign: 

• Turkey Crown with Jewelled Stuffing 
• No.1 The Golden Bûche de Noël 
• No.1 Crumble Top Mince Pies with Cranberry & Orange
• Party Food, including Christmas Smoked Salmon Eclairs, Feta Popcorn Bites with Hot Honey, Paneer Fries, Pork & Chorizo Whirls, Teriyaki Meatballs, Hash Browns in Blankets, Vegan Asian Selection, King Prawn Gyoza and Christmas Beef Yorkshire Puddings.

The Partners across the John Lewis Partnership will be first to see the advert at 4pm on 1st November before it launches on waitrose.com and across our social channels on 2 November. 

The advert will air for the first time on television on the 2nd November at 8:15pm during Emmerdale on ITV1.