Waitrose serves up romcom magic in 2025 festive spot ‘The Perfect Gift’ via Wonderhood Studios
In the lead-up to Christmas, Campaign Brief is shining a spotlight on the season’s most anticipated campaigns from around the globe. As these campaigns roll out, we’ll be rounding up the highlights to keep you in the loop.
Waitrose has launched its 2025 festive campaign, The Perfect Gift, a first-of-its-kind four-minute romantic comedy short created by Wonderhood Studios, with media planning by MG OMD and production by Biscuit Filmworks.
The new campaign stars comedian and actor Joe Wilkinson reprising his Phil character from last year, alongside award-winning actress Keira Knightley, in a feel-good tale where food, and a shared love of Waitrose products, becomes the ultimate expression of love.
Directed by Molly Manners, the mini-movie pays homage to UK romcom classics, while standalone 60- and 30-second trailers, OOH posters, product films, and social content extend the story. The campaign also includes podcast appearances and press junket–style social content, blending storytelling and brand activation in a new ‘food entertainment’ approach for the supermarket.
Says Jack Croft and Stacey Bird, Executive Creative Directors at Wonderhood: “From day one, we all rallied around a single, joyful idea, brought to life through every part of the customer journey… We simply could not be more excited to release this perfectly plotted romcom onto the British public.”
The campaign launches online today, with TV, social, digital, and OOH supporting the rollout.
Waitrose
Chief Customer Officer: Nathan Ansell
Head of Channels: Caroline Kinsmann
Advertising Lead: Joanne Massey
Senior Advertising Manager: Alia Ahmad
Advertising Manager: Vinay Patel
Interim Managing Director: Tina Mitchell
Senior Campaign Manager: Laura Wallsworth
Campaign Manager: Kate Drake
Social Media Lead: Sarah Hood
Senior Social Media Manager: Emily Angliss
Social Media Manager: Chloe Ball
Creative Direction Lead: James Turner
Art Direction & Image Lead: James Davies
MG OMD
CEO: Natalie Bell
Managing Director: Kat Bozicevich
Chief Creative Officer: Tamara Cross
Client Executive Director: Gereldine Ridgeway
Client Business Director: Jane Ridehalgh
Client Account Director: Megan Cupples
Media Creativity Director: Will Selwyn
Partnerships Business Director: Maddie Taylor Wilson
Partnerships Account Director: Polly Mason
Wonderhood Studios
Founder & CEO: Alex Best
Founder & CCO: Aidan McClure
Managing Director: Sam Brown
Head of Integrated Production: Natasha Johnson
Executive Creative Director: Stacey Bird
Executive Creative Director: Jack Croft
Executive Strategy Director: Nick Exford
Senior Creative & Writer: Jennifer Ashton
Senior Creative & Writer: Oliver Short
Creative – Product: Holly Nash
Creative – Product: Alysha Radia
Lead Senior Producer: Nikki Holbrow
Senior Producer: Alice Konstam
Senior Producer: Stefanie Forbes
Producer – Product: Henry Davies
Assistant Producer: Anu Kogbodoku
Business Director: Tom Butler
Account Manager – Brand: Minna Griffiths
Account Manager – Product: Lizzie Coombes
Account Executive: Pericles Brierley
Wonderhood Makers
Co-founder & EP: Jo Lumb
Co-founder & Managing Partner: Katie Hunter
Senior Account Director: George Alleston
Senior Account Manager: Rosie Hopley
Social Creative: Ella Banks
Producer: Jake Parker
Editor: David Shepherd
Wonderhood Design
Head of Design: Simon Elvins
Design Director: Tommy Spitters
Senior Designer – Brand: Ayano Takase
Designer – Brand: Josephine Choy
Senior Designer – Product: Avi Bamra
Photography
Brand Photographer: Jason Bell
Product Photographer: Chris Bernabeo
Product Photographer: Matt Russell
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: Molly Manners
Producer: Peter Knowles
Founding Partner: Shawn Lacy
Managing Director: Rupert Reynolds-MacLean
Executive Producer: Hanna Bayatti
Head of Production: Emily Atterton
Production Manager: Ada Almeida
Production Assistant: Rabia Glynn
Production Assistant: Jess Glaus
Director of Photography: Benedict Spence
Production Designer: Fiona Crombie
Casting Director: Hanna Birkett
Socials Director: James Murray
Socials Producer: Tom Birmingham
Socials DOP: Ilya Maksymenko
Social 1st AD: Pete Ward
Socials Gaffer: George Purser
Socials Sound Recordist: Quillon Larratt
Socials Boom Op: Grace Robertson
Socials Props: Rosie Kidd
Costume Designer: Emma Rees
Keira Knightley:
Stylist: Leith Clark
Makeup: Georgina Graham
Makeup: Sam Coughlan
Hair Stylist: Luke Hersheson
Hero Casting: Talent Republic
CEO & Founder: Anne Batz
Head of Talent Production: Sophie Jacob-Melhuish
Senior Account Director: Disha B.B
Talent Production Assistant: Emily Curtis
Editing Company: Shift Post
Editor – Brand Film: Saam Hodivala
Editor – Product Films: Joanna Lewandowska
Editor – Social: Robert McGuire
Executive Producer: Kirsty Oldfield
Assistant Editor: Stanley Whitaker
Post Studio: Time Based Arts
Creative Director & VFX Supervisor: Sheldon Gardner
2D Lead: Miguel Wratten
2D Artists: Ria Shroff, Jasmine Cooper, Olivia O’Niel, Andre Bittencourt, Liam Doyle, Ollie Ramsey, Lucy Lawrence
3D Artist: Ihor Obukhovskyi, Jake Thompson, Ashley West
DMP: Lee Matthews
Colourist: Simone Grattarola
Senior VFX Producer: Matt Squires
Producer: Mia Saunders
Audio Post-Production: Runamok
Sound Designer Mix: Jon Clarke
Executive Producer: Lucy Spong
Executive Producer: Ornela Peka
Music Supervisors: Native
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