Turning biscuits into Britain's social glue

Much like Boots’ recent work, McVitie's is promoting its product range as part of our national story

There’s a line in Alan Partridge’s ‘From The Oasthouse’ podcast in which he notes his assistant Lynn "has a penchant for joyless, austere, post-war biscuits".

The line hits because we realise that the nation’s choice of conservative snacks says a fair bit about our national character.

McVitie’s probably felt this line more than most, given that its range, which includes Digestives, Jaffa Cakes, Club biscuits and Ginger Nuts, is part of Britain's social infrastructure - usually accompanied by a good natter.

‘There’s Only One That Brings Us All Together’ by McVitie's, created by adam&eve\TBWA and directed by Greg Hackett, gathers multiple McVitie's brands in a single campaign for the first time. It’s reminiscent of Boots’ recent work in which its products appear in the same ad, so in that way, both are built on insights into the wider role their crumbly stock plays in our lives. 

The narrative includes a parent handing biscuits to a departing child, students sharing snacks, grandparents connecting with grandchildren, friends gathering around television screens, runners refuelling after races. The biscuits themselves become recurring characters.

Soundtracked by a punk reinterpretation of 'Together in Electric Dreams', the film delivers nostalgia with a contemporary edge.

Building on Trevor McDonald

The campaign is an evolution of McVitie's 2023 'There's Only One' platform fronted by Trevor McDonald. That work positioned McVitie's as Britain's original biscuit brand and reportedly increased purchase intent by 27%, while retail sales value rose 15.8% in 2023.

Our take

Many brands try to claim cultural relevance, but McVitie's has earned an organic place in the culture.

Or, as McVities creative partner Paul Jordan noted: "McVitie's isn't trying to insert itself into culture because it is already embedded within it."

Biscuits are not just products then; they’re social rituals.