Waitrose concludes festive mystery in second part of Christmas advert as detective solves 'delicious crime'
Waitrose has released the second part of its Christmas Whodunnit
Waitrose
Waitrose has now revealed the culprit behind the mysterious disappearance of the No.1 Red Velvet Bauble Dessert in the eagerly anticipated second part of its festive advert campaign.
The first instalment, "Sweet Suspicion, A Waitrose Mystery" saw a family preparing for Christmas Day when the No.1 Waitrose Red Velvet Bauble Dessert mysteriously disappeared in a festive "whodunnit". In the second of the two-part campaign, "A Waitrose Mystery: Solved", the pudding thief is discovered.
The all-star cast including Matthew Macfadyen, Joe Wilkinson, Rakhee Thakrar, Sian Clifford, Dustin Demri-Burns and Eryl Maynard have all returned for the final 60-second film.
In a series of polls conducted on Waitrose's website and social channels, viewers were invited to guess the culprit behind the dessert's disappearance.
Fig the Cat emerged as the top suspect
Waitrose
Only eight per cent of voters suspected dessert thief Steve
Waitrose
Fig the Cat emerged as the top suspect, with 18 per cent of voters pointing the finger at the feline.
Close behind were Gamma at 17 per cent and May at 15 per cent, whilst Steve - who turned out to be the perpetrator - garnered the least suspicion with just eight per cent of the votes.
In the second instalment, viewers follow Matthew Macfadyen's detective character as he works to solve the mystery of the missing festive pud.
The detective meticulously pieces together the events of Christmas Day, examining potential moments when the culprit could have taken the coveted Red Velvet Bauble Dessert.
Through careful investigation, he works to establish both motive and method behind what the advert playfully terms "such a delicious crime".
The detective's thorough investigation ultimately leads to an unexpected revelation about the whereabouts of the missing dessert.
The mystery reaches its conclusion as Steve - played by Dustin Demri-Burns - is discovered to have cleverly concealed the dessert within the family's gingerbread house, hiding it in plain sight.
The truth finally emerges when Steve is caught "red velvet-handed" in the garden shed, taking his first bite of the sought-after seasonal treat.
When Steve is found tucking into the pudding, he bashfully offers to share it with the rest of the Christmassy cohort. Of course, everyone jumps at the opportunity - including the detective.
The advert concludes on a heartwarming note, showing the whole family coming together to share the delicious Red Velvet Bauble Dessert.
The two-part festive campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, has proven to be Waitrose's most successful Christmas advertising effort to date, captivating food lovers across the nation since its initial release earlier in November.
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Steve is caught red-handed in the second instalment of the two-part advert
Waitrose
The campaign has generated a reach of over 150 million views across social media, television and digital platforms, securing the top position on YouTube's Christmas Ad Leaderboard.
Customer Director at Waitrose, Nathan Ansell, commented: "The last few weeks have been filled with suspicion, guessing and alibis.
"Customers and Partners alike have been getting into the 'whodunnit' spirit, wearing the ad t-shirts in store with their predictions of who the culprit is. We've also seen huge engagement on social media polls and I’ve even had customers getting in touch with their own detailed theories and pictures.
"I can’t wait for everyone to find out who did it! So here's to celebrating with some amazing good food and seeing the surprise or smug looks on everyone's faces."
Dustin Demri-Burns, who plays food lover Steve, said: "I can fully empathise with Steve and his pud-thieving ways. The pressure of making Christmas wonderful can get to us all - sometimes we just want to eat our pudding in the shed and that’s okay."
The second part of Waitrose's festive advert debuted tonight during the Great British Bake Off, Channel 4 at 8:15pm. It also premiered on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here on ITV at 9:15pm.
The No.1 Red Velvet Dessert at the heart of the Christmas mystery will be available from December 19 in shops or to pre-order now through Waitrose.com. The red velvet treat is priced at £20 and serves 10.
For Waitrose customers who simply can't wait, individual Red Velvet Bauble Desserts are available in stores and online now, priced at £4.50 for a pack of two.
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