Waitrose goes black and white as Christmas ad focuses on community spirit
Waitrose is hoping to reconnect people with the emotion of Christmas as it tells the story of a group of local villagers trapped in a snowstorm.
By Sarah Vizard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJZbo5ohVGs&feature=youtu.be
Waitrose has created its first black and white advert for this year’s Christmas campaign as it looks to put community spirit at the heart of the festive season.
The TV ad, created by adam&eveDDB and launching this evening (12 December) during The X Factor, is inspired by real-life events at a remote pub in the Yorkshire Dales where local villagers gather for a drink on Christmas morning. However a snowstorm hits, meaning a generous festive act will be needed to save the day.
The 90-second ad ends with the line ‘At Christmas, there’s nothing quite like Waitrose’.
The ad is set in The Tan Hill Inn near Richmond in Yorkshire, which is the highest in Britain. It is regularly cut off by snow, and people have been snowed in 50 times since 2005.
Martin George, customer director at Waitrose, says: “Food plays an essential role in bringing people together. When we have the opportunity to eat with others, we can enjoy great food and feel closer to those we share the experience with. As our ad depicts, eating together is a way to share not just food but friendship and community spirit.”
The campaign will also run across outdoor, cinema and digital, while Waitrose will be creating content both for its publications and social media. There will also be product-focused advertising showcasing some of the food and drink available at Waitrose this Christmas.
To bring the campaign to life, Waitrose has enlisted the help of Children’s Laureate Anne Fine to write a children’s book, ‘Let It Snow’, inspired by the ad. It tells the story of two animal families who become unlikely companions over a festive meal. For every book sold, a donation of 50p will be made to anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust to help in its work running more than 400 food banks.
Waitrose will also create ‘community tables’ in many of its cafes so customers can sit together and it will be running a nationwide competition offering customers the chance to win one of five foodie feasts for their community groups catered by famous chefs.
