George Clooney on a video call in the Warburtons advert

Source: Warburtons

George Clooney has become the latest A-list celebrity to star in a Warburtons advert.

The 60-second advert, which premieres on ITV 1 on Saturday 8 May, sees Clooney try to get hold of chairman Jonathan Warburton via video call to pitch an idea to him. The new campaign, titled ‘It can wait’, celebrates Warburtons’ belief that nothing should come in the way of the perfect loaf.

Clooney follows in the footsteps of Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone who have both appeared in the bakery’s adverts in recent years.

The ad opens in Jonathan Warburton’s office as the fifth-generation family baker awaits his 3pm break. As the clock strikes, he is seen preparing his favourite snack – a slice of toast. Cinematic shots follow, as the audience sees a slow-motion sequence of toast popping up and shooting through the sky, a close-up of a wave of butter melting and Warburton cutting it into triangles.

The chairman is suddenly interrupted as his receptionist runs into the room and declares “Mr Warburton, George Clooney is on the line!” She gestures to a laptop where Clooney is waiting. Not wanting to be distracted from his toast, Warburton smiles “he can wait” as he closes the laptop and tucks into his beloved toast.

Clooney is left bewildered in the final shot as he is seen staring down the laptop screen saying: “Mr Warburton? He hung up?”

Jonathan Warburton and a slice of toast in the TV advert

Source: Warburtons

“We are thrilled to have George Clooney star in our latest campaign,” said Warburtons chairman Jonathan Warburton. “Video calls have become part of normal life for so many of us during the last year, but George Clooney popping up on screen was quite a surprise.

“At Warburtons, we pride ourselves on the care that goes into making sure that every single loaf is as fresh and high quality as possible. Quality is truly at the heart of our 145-year-old business, and this new ad is a real celebration of that passion, and we hope it will bring a smile to those watching.”

The fee paid to George Clooney for taking part in the campaign has been donated to the Clooney Foundation for Justice. 

Clooney added: “It’s not every day your call is turned down for a slice of toast, but needless to say I had a lot of fun filming this spot. It was great working with the Warburtons team and I’m thankful for the support they are providing to the Clooney Foundation for Justice.”

Watch the new advert below: