Joy of Digital Award: Festive whodunnit takes the Christmas crown

For its Christmas ad this year, Waitrose ditched the schmaltz and gave us a festive whodunnit for the ages featuring a host of stars including Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen and Fleabag’s Sian Clifford - plus one very suspicious cat.  

Created by Saatchi & Saatchi, the two-part ‘Sweet Suspicion’ campaign had the nation channeling their inner detectives, masterfully using multiple media channels to create impact, build suspense and let the story unfold. The first instalment racked up over six million views on TikTok and, according to Kantar, ranked in the top 6% for “thumb-stopping power” and the top 7% for viewer enjoyment. 

“The bar was high, but Waitrose’s ad stood out for being bold, funny and super interactive,” says Joy, our Chief Digital Cheerleader and Chair of the Joy of Digital Awards. 

“This wasn’t just an ad - it was a full-blown event. People turned into pudding detectives, rocked ‘whodunnit’ t-shirts in-store and flooded social media with theories worthy of a true crime podcast. Who knew a missing red velvet dessert could cause more drama than a family Monopoly game?! Hats off to the teams at Waitrose and Saatchi & Saatchi!” 

Running across several channels – including social, TV, digital and in-store activations - the campaign saw Macfadyen swap Succession-level scheming for festive sleuthing as he demanded alibis from every guilty-looking relative before finally revealing Steve as the pudding pilferer. It’s the perfect blend of humour, storytelling, and good food - everything a Christmas campaign should be. 

Find out more about the Joy of Digital Award and past winners here.