Waitrose’s Christmas ad is set at The Tan Hill Inn in Yorkshire, the highest pub in Britain at 1,732 ft. The pub is known for being snowed in during winter and this is what plays out in the ad, as a group of friends get stuck over Christmas. As this is advertising, they do a sterling job of making the best of it.

The spot is enjoyably festive though distinctive in particular for being filmed entirely in black and white (perhaps they have been a little influenced by Sainsbury’s?). The monochrome tones extend even to the food shots, a risky move for a supermarket chain that tends to be known for its luscious, drool-inducing images of perfectly cooked dishes.

It gives the shot an old-fashioned festive charm however, appropriate for an ad that aims to remind viewers that Christmas is as much about togetherness and friendship as it is about grub.

Agency: adam&eveDDB, London
Group CCO: Ben Priest
CCO: Richard Brim
Creative: Matt Gay
Director: Martin De Thurah
Production company: Academy
Post: The Mill
Music supervision: Sean Craigie Atherton and Sian Rogers, Siren