Waitrose solves its Christmas mystery, but was it as tasty as we hoped?

The second part of Waitrose’s festive ad series, Sweet Suspicion, is a neat way to keep audiences captivated, but how does it hold up in the competitive Yule Tide market?

Premiering during the Great British Bake Off finale, presumably when audiences are already feeling a bit peckish, the second part of Waitrose’s festive ad series, Sweet Suspicion, concludes its "whodunnit" advert series.

Maybe watch them both now though, before I spoil the plot in a minute.

Right. Happy now?

That’s right, it turns out the dessert thief was stressed-out father, Steve, played by Dustin Demri-Burns (Slow Horses), all along.

You’d have to have been fairly eagle-eyed to have spotted his slight of hand in the first, fast-cut, outing, in which he was hiding the coveted Red Velvet Bauble Dessert under a gingerbread house to enjoy it secretly in the garage.

Directed by Tom Hooper and created by Saatchi & Saatchi, the two-part campaign will be remembered for its star-studded cast, including Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) as the charismatic detective, alongside Sian Clifford (Fleabag), Joe Wilkinson, and Rakhee Thakrar (Sex Education).

Our take

Given that, on one particular holiday, my own family were captivated by a similar mystery when my brother’s beloved Mars bar disappeared from the kitchen countertop never to be seen again, Waitrose’s ad series was particularly poignant for me. (I still reckon my dad nicked it to be honest).

The mystery narrative here feels apt for Christmas, when we tend to watch that kind of thing on the telly (indeed, just last week I finally watched The Mousetrap at the theatre - another synchronicity). But the plot works well to showcase some pretty tantalising morsels of food under the radar as you try and work out the character’s various motives. A simple trick, well executed.

The wider campaign was also well pulled off, with interactive elements, such as themed evidence boards at London’s King’s Cross station, adding a real-world dimension to the story and extending the mystery.

Having not really watched any of the shows that the celebrities in question are in, the ad lacked a bit of star power for me, but got me thinking that maybe we’re a bit ‘celebbed out’ this Christmas anyway: and my favourite Christmas offerings have been star-free zones (Disney and Asda, namely).

That said, it’s all pretty well acted and well directed, with some enjoyable subtle humour - like when the detective’s authority is momentarily threatened by an astute kid. All in all, it’s a winner, and the detective in me was genuinely sold on the concept.