McVitie’s biscuits launches ‘True Originals’ featuring Sir Trevor McDonald

True Originals has been created to reaffirm the brand’s position as not only the sweet biscuit market leader, but purveyor of some of the UK’s most loved biccie brands. Based on McVitie’s strongest brand truth: that it is the original and the best - the platform allows the McVitie’s brand owner pladis and TBWA\London to convey its venerated status, deliciousness and love for the brand without becoming wallpaper; to be iconic and not just talk iconic; and to set it apart from the huge number of imitations and copycats out there. To create massive moments of engagement and impact.

The TV campaign features one of the country’s most loved and respected True Originals, Sir Trevor McDonald - who returns to a newsdesk for the first time since he retired 15 years ago. As well as some less original imitations, such as a goat in an Argentina shirt and a real-life hedgehog scampering along a pavement.  

With a banging soundtrack by British rapping superstar and Brit Award winner Little Simz, the TV work opens with a red door showing the number ‘1’ followed by the seemingly unmistakably smooth tones of Sir Trevor. His VO lists a host of ’truly original’ cultural icons, but the film contrasts these with images of poor imitations, from the Great Wall of China (a not-so-great stone wall) to The Godfather (a nervous man holding a baby). The work takes another humorous turn towards the finale: "There's only one biscuit… the true original… And one person to tell you about it. Me, Trevor McDonald.” Viewers then see a Sir Trevor impersonator in a cramped VO studio and realise it was a fake all along. Until the camera pans to a flashy news studio where the true original news reader is holding a genuine McVitie’s biscuit. “Actually, it’s Sir Trevor McDonald, and I’ll take it from here”, he says.

The campaign launches from 4th October and ‘There is only one’ will be initially broadcast across TV, Cinema, BVOD and OLV until 11th November and supported by a wave of activity across social and shopper marketing.