Waitrose and Saatchi & Saatchi launch first advertising campaign

The agency and brand kick start their new relationship with the launch of the new Japan Menyū range

By Creative Salon

04 October 2023

Created by Saatchi & Saatchi and bought by MG OMD, Waitrose's campaign is built on the brand's promise of ‘Food to Feel Good About’, and puts its high quality and great tasting products at the heart of the creative, showcasing how the new range can be ‘Good’ for so many of its customers and their busy lives.

One of the ads highlights that the Japan Menyū range is ‘Good for a midweek quickie’, while another’s messaging focuses on the dishes as ‘Good news for tired cooks’.

The series of ads will feature across print, audio, digital, display, LFDOOH, and OOH, delivering a campaign with numerous touchpoints and therefore delivering impact and cut-through with its audiences.

Nathan Ansell, Waitrose Customer Director, said: “Our new Japan Menyū range is hugely exciting for all of us here at Waitrose, so what better way to mark the launch than with our first campaign with the brilliant team at Saatchi & Saatchi. Our new campaign makes a statement that can’t be missed by our audiences, whether that’s on the tube, on a digital screen or through the ad they hear on the radio.

“Our brand promise of Food to Feel Good About, which we launched a year ago, remains at the heart of this campaign, and our Japan Menyū range is most definitely something that our customers can feel really ‘good’ about. From a midweek meal, to a Friday night dinner on the sofa, our customers certainly won’t be disappointed with any of the new dishes.”

Franki Goodwin, Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, added: “It was so exciting to get our hands on this amazing range and bring the food photography to life. It’s the start of a lot of GOOD we’re going to be doing in the coming months.”

The Waitrose Japan Menyū range launched on 20 September, with the Chicken Karaage, Tempura Prawns, and Chicken Katsu Curry & Rice are already top picks among customers. The new Japanese-inspired own-brand range complements the Japanese ingredients within its own Cooks’ Ingredients range, including the Yuzu Juice, Shichimi Togarashi, and Japanese Rice Vinegar.

Waitrose prides itself on its animal welfare standards, and the Japan Menyū range is no exception. All its fresh pork is outdoor-bred and comes from British farmers that they know and trust; its chicken is higher welfare, and have a bespoke set of high standards that its poultry farmers adhere to. All its beef is British, with its cattle getting around 30 per cent more space than the standard set by food standards regulator Red Tractor, and all of its fish is responsibly sourced.