Warburtons has turned 150. So it marked the occasion the only way it knows how, by calling in another Hollywood legend to accompany CEO Jonathan Warburton.
This time, it’s Morgan Freeman lending his voice to “150 Years in the Baking”, the latest instalment in what has become the most consistently entertaining campaign series in British FMCG.
The film opens in Bolton, inside the company’s headquarters. Jonathan Warburton, chairman and fifth-generation baker, sits at his desk with a slice of Toastie loaf in hand.
At moments, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re watching the trailer for a Netflix family saga about a flour-powered empire. Call it The House of Warburton.
Freeman’s voice rolls in guiding viewers from 1876 to the present day, from the first loaf to a national fleet of lorries crossing modern Britain.
There’s a moon landing. Mid-century nostalgia. A hospital scene with a Warburton grandfather cradling the next generation. And then comes the crumpet moment. Freeman pauses narration to ask what on earth a crumpet is, sparking a deadpan exchange about 300 holes.
For readers of THE GOODS, this is familiar territory.
Back in 2023 we covered the Samuel L. Jackson instalment, headlined “Don’t Be Fooled By Deep Bakes”. That campaign, reportedly costing around £5 million in talent fees, followed earlier turns from Olivia Colman, Robert De Niro, George Clooney and Sylvester Stallone. Warburtons has built a recognisable creative universe around cinematic cameos and northern self-awareness.
In the financial year ended 28 September 2024, Britain’s largest bakery brand reported £741.1 million in revenue, up 4.2 percent year on year, with pre-tax profit of roughly £31.5 million. Nearly 5,000 employees, 11 bakeries, 18 depots, almost 1,000 vehicles. More than two million products baked daily. Around 2.3 million crumpets each week.
Bread has endured low-carb waves, private label pressure and the premiumisation of everything from butter to sourdough. Yet Warburtons remains the UK’s most chosen bakery brand by volume, holding a substantial share of the wrapped bread market.
Legacy brands face a media environment that fragments attention into micro-segments. Warburtons still plays the mass game. Saturday night ITV. Cultural figures recognised across generations. Ads that feel like short films rather than category reminders.
There is a lesson here for any established brand navigating relevance. Invest in distinctive assets: Protect and repeat.
The film marks 150 years, but its real purpose is future-proofing the brand, reinforcing familiarity at scale and asserting leadership in a commoditised aisle.
And yes, it makes you want a crumpet.
On his cameo, Morgan Freeman described it as stewardship of a story. The family’s 150-year dedication to baking, he said, was “a narrative that truly deserves to be heard,” citing the continuity of craft passed through generations.
Jonathan Warburton, the company’s chairman and fifth generation of the family, said baking “is in our blood,” describing the advert as a celebration of 150 years serving British families, from breakfast tables to lunchboxes.
He said the milestone called for a voice with global recognition. Casting Morgan Freeman, he added, brought scale to the story and helped frame the family’s history for a national audience as the business looks to its next chapter.
From Bolton in 1876 to Morgan Freeman in 2026, Warburtons proves that scale is built on two things: distribution in every postcode and distinction in every ad break.
The new advert will officially premiere on Saturday 14th February, during The Masked Singer on ITV at 7pm.
