Best thing since sliced bread: Olivia Colman stars in Warburtons advert
She is seen invading the Warburtons headquarters in a bid to procure some crumpets.
Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman can be seen “storming into” the headquarters of Warburtons as she stars in a new TV advert for the British baking firm.
The 51-year-old appears in the two-minute advert, which premieres on ITV on May 3 during Britain’s Got Talent, alongside bakery boss Jonathan Warburton.
She follows in the footsteps of other Hollywood stars like George Clooney, Robert De Niro and Samuel L Jackson who have all previously starred in adverts for the baking firm.
In the advert, The Favourite and Peep Show actress represents the fictional Department of National Treasures (D.O.N.T) and after ambushing bakery boss Jonathan at his desk, demands to inspect the crumpet production line to determine if the produce is worthy of “National Treasure” status.
“This bakery is now under my jurisdiction,” Colman states, as she tells Jonathan to ‘walk and talk baker boy’ after which she picks up a framed picture of Pulp Fiction actor Jackson and Jonathan and trashes it saying, “Whoops, butter fingers”.
Marching through the bakery, flanked by her squad of “agents”, Colman discusses the prestige of becoming a national treasure saying they are “the very essence of integrity, the gold standard, the bees knees …”
Staring into the distance, she goes on to say she will have to taste every crumpet topping: butter, jam, cheese, avocado; as a saxophone solo from Careless Whisper plays in the background, with Warburtons enlisting saxophonist Steve Gregory, who played the tune in the original George Michael recording back in the early 80s, to do a re-record.
The “inspection” turns out to be fake as Colman departs, crumpet in hand, in a vehicle with blacked-out windows, and surrounded by packets of crumpets.
Colman said: “You butter believe it was a tough job, but I was more than happy to oblige. Though I’m surprised Jonathan, aka Baker Boy didn’t rumble me from the start and, let’s be honest, who really needs convincing that the Great British crumpet is a national treasure? I was simply there to ensure a lifetime supply landed in my kitchen.”
“In all seriousness though, it was a whole load of fun to film. Warburtons, you’ve got yourselves a crumpet connoisseur for life.”
Jonathan Warburton said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have Olivia Colman join us for this adventure.
“I might be biased but I certainly believe our crumpets deserve national treasure status, and if Colman’s enthusiasm for the inspection is anything to go by, I’d say she does too.
“I’m confident our crumpets will rise to the occasion, even if that occasion is simply being a delicious breakfast or snack at the Colmans’ for many years to come.”
According to a survey of UK adults carried out by YouGov, on behalf of Warburtons, butter is the front runner for a favourite crumpet topping (75%) followed by jam (30%).
The survey also found that only one in five (23%) have tried cheese and even fewer (4%) have tried avocado as a topping.
The bread-baking business is run by the fifth-generation of Warburtons, having been set up in 1876 as a grocery shop in Bolton by Thomas and Ellen Warburton.
