# Waitrose Christmas TV advert again focuses on its charitable support

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/11/04/waitrose-christmas-tv-advert-again-focuses-its-charitable-support/
- Published: 2013-11-04T11:05:03+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Supermarket Waitrose is once again focusing on its charitable giving in its Christmas
TV advert.
The advert premiered on ITV during the X Factor on Saturday 2 November,
and will be aired throughout the Christmas season.

It opens with a young boy in Waitrose with his mother, choosing which charity support
with a green Community Matters token. His gift helps fund a charity lunch in a church
hall. The film shows Waitrose staff (‘partners’) volunteering at the lunch.

Rupert Thomas, Marketing Director at Waitrose, explained: “I hope this ad will remind
people that putting their green token in the Community Matters box can help their
community in simple, heartfelt ways that can make a real difference.”

## Advertisement

Video: Waitrose.com

## Christmas advert 2012

[Last year’s Waitrose Christmas advert](https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/11/13/waitrose-donate-1m-christmas/)
took a similar charitable theme, with Delia Smith and Heston Blementhal appearing
in a demonstrating low-budget advert. The message was that the money the supermarket
would have spent on a glitzy Christmas ad was being donated to charity instead.

![Waitrose partners volunteer at a charity lunch. Photo: Waitrose](https://wfay6x.
infiniteuploads.cloud/2022/11/waitrose-partners-volunteer-at-charity-lunch.jpg)

Waitrose partners volunteer at a charity lunch. Photo: Waitrose

## Community Matters

Since its launch in 2008, Waitrose’s Community Matters scheme has donated £14 million
to local charities chosen by Waitrose customers.

In addition to Community Matters, **Waitrose announced a new initiative in October**
to help support elderly, homeless and vulnerable people this Christmas. The retailer
will help provide Christmas dinner across the country for people who would otherwise
be on their own on Christmas day. Each of the retailer’s 300 shops has an allocation
of money and volunteering time to put towards community Christmas dinner events.