Waitrose rewrites the Christmas ad playbook with Keira Knightley romcom

Waitrose has dropped a festive campaign that’s closer to cinema than supermarket – riffing off Love Actually.

The Perfect Gift isn’t just an ad — it’s a four-minute festive romcom, starring Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson, with food at the heart of the story.

They nailed the brief: cinematic, emotional, funny and genuinely joyful.

Directed by Molly Manners and created by Wonderhood Studios, the short film follows Wilkinson’s character, Phil, a widower whose modest life gets upended after a cheese-counter meet-cute with Knightley (playing herself).

From there, it’s straight into romcom territory: misunderstandings, heartwarming gestures, and a homemade turkey pie that serves as both plot twist and product plug.

Knightley’s casting ties the film to Love Actually lore with Richard Curtis calling the spot “sweet as pie.”

The campaign stretches well beyond the hero film. Trailers cut for TV and social tease the main event like a blockbuster release.

OOH placements mimic movie posters, with lines pulled straight from the script. In-store staff wear romcom quote tees, and product-focused content rounds out the push, putting Waitrose’s food offering into romantic spotlight.

The campaign leans into the idea of food as a love language, with the message that care can be shown not just through gifts, but through cooking, sharing, and nostalgia-laced meals.

It’s also a technical play: a long-form format designed to be discovered online, where viewer intent and attention can be deeper, backed by a trailer strategy on broadcast to seed intrigue.

With high production values, A-list casting and cross-channel presence, The Perfect Gift is more than seasonal sentiment. It’s a bet that branded storytelling can cut through in a crowded festive landscape, not by shouting louder, but by speaking in a language audiences already love.

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