Here’s how ITV helped Waitrose turn its Christmas campaign into a gripping ITV drama. With teasers, trailers, and a jungle-boosted finale, this prime-time parody drove record sales, brand warmth and buzz… proving that nothing unites the nation like a great drama - and a stolen dessert.

A little background

Christmas advertising is both a British cultural institution and a marketing battleground. In 2024, Waitrose needed a campaign that would:

• Stand out

• Shift perceptions

• Close the gap with M&S

• Drive sales

In a season dominated by emotional clichés, Waitrose took a different path: they staged the ultimate festive food crime, as a whodunnit.

Sweet Suspicion was an immersive campaign styled like a prestige drama. They needed ITV to help turn it into prime-time entertainment, to get the nation sleuthing for who stole the Red Velvet Bombe.

Our insight

ITV drama has always been a Christmas staple. Rather than treat Sweet Suspicion like an ad campaign, what if we promoted it as if it were one of our own premier dramas?

The big idea

We would frame the entire campaign as if it were a genuine ITV drama… with teasers, trailers, continuity announcements, behind-the-scenes build-up, and even coverage on This Morning.

Making it happen

Five ‘Acts’ to Build Suspense

1. Pre-Launch: Something big is coming!

   • ITV-style 10” teaser ads aired around other dramas, driving curiosity with the line: “The Season’s Biggest Drama.”

   • These ran in primetime ad breaks and on ITV’s official social handles - a first for ITV.
     

2. Post-Launch: Building the series arc.

   • 20” continuity ads in ITV’s recognisable dramatic tone mirrored how we support other dramas, spotlighting twists, food clues, and red herrings.

   • Custom ITVX promos kept the buzz alive.
     

3. Pre-Reveal: The suspense mounts!

   • Continuity voiceovers and ITVX promos teased the finale, driving online speculation.

   • Social comments showed viewers invested in solving the mystery.
     

4. Post-Reveal: The finale falls in the jungle.

   • The big reveal aired within I’m A Celebrity, ITV’s most-watched show at the time.

   • Continuity announcers amplified the suspense, grabbing attention and taking the conversation far beyond the ad break.
     

5. Editorial Integration: This Morning Investigates.

   • Two co-branded ads featured Craig Doyle and Sian Welby debriefing the nation.

   • With talent at the heart, embedding Waitrose in ITV’s DNA.

The results

By borrowing behaviours from TV entertainment and drama, the campaign helped Waitrose deliver:

• Its highest day of sales ever

• A 2ppt increase in NPS versus M&S

• Their most talked-about Christmas campaign for over a decade

• Record consideration score for the brand

The partnership reached 11.4M individuals and over 500k across social and digital channels.

• A Sweet Suspicion ITVX Homepage Takeover achieved 4.5M impressions (vs. 2M benchmark).

• 2 in 3 viewers interacted with Waitrose or planned to.

• Strong resonance amongst the target of 18–54s (74% consideration) and ‘Food lovers’ (79% consideration).

• Boosted likeability for the ads (79% liked the ads) and warmth for the brand (69% felt warmer towards Waitrose).

• Ultimately, 62% were more likely to shop there.

• The partnership delivered 402k incremental website and app visits and a +37.2% increase in response rate (web visits) vs. standard Waitrose spots.

• Perceptions of Waitrose as a fun, high-quality brand with a great range all saw statistically significant uplifts.

How to win Christmas in the UK? Mystery solved.

Sources: MGOMD research, ITV Brand Lift Study, Viewers Logic

Analysis

Media Creativity: Over £1m