Waitrose has beaten sister retail brand John Lewis to launching its Christmas TV ad, which features celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal and a 1948 Cab Calloway jazz classic.
Waitrose - which used adam&eveDDB, the agency best known for making a string of famous commercials for John Lewis – launched its Christmas ad online on Wednesday, ahead of a TV debut during The X Factor on Sunday night.
The campaign, which features a cameo by brand ambassador Blumenthal adding the final touch to a Chocolate Bucks Fizz Swirl, continues Waitrose’s recent theme of choosing classic tracks to accompany its ad campaigns.
The latest commercial is set to Cab Calloway’s Everybody Eats When They Come to My House.
Aptly, Calloway, who appeared in the famous 1980s Blues Brothers film singing Minnie the Moocher, was born on Christmas Day.
“Our advert for Waitrose celebrates all those little moments that make Christmas Christmas, and nine out of 10 times, it’s all about the food,” said Richard Brim, executive creative director at adam&eveDDB.
Budget retailers Lidl and Asda have already launched their Christmas TV ads, with John Lewis and Marks & Spencer set to launch this weekend.
In October, Waitrose used a digitally remastered version of the signature song from the 1967 film Winnie Pooh and the Blustery Day to run with its autumn ad campaign.
