Just Eat ditches celebrities for a cast of puppet animals
Just Eat has dropped celebrity-fronted ads for a cast of stop-motion animal puppets in a new UK brand platform, The Joy of Everyday, made by McCann London and spanning nine films across TV, radio, social and YouTube.
From celebrity spectacle to stop-motion charm
Just Eat has quietly retired the celebrity formula that defined its advertising for years. Its new UK brand platform, The Joy of Everyday, swaps famous faces for a cast of handmade animal puppets, with a warm stop-motion look critics have compared to Wes Anderson. The brand says it is a deliberate change of direction, not a one-off experiment.
Created by McCann London, the campaign was designed by Arch Model Studio and directed by Tim McNaughton. Nine films will roll out gradually across TV, broadcaster video-on-demand, radio, social and YouTube, with UM handling media. The long-running Did Somebody Say identity stays in place as the global signature.
It is a striking pivot for a brand that built fame on star power. Where previous work leaned on celebrity wattage and chart hits, the new films trade spectacle for craft, character and a softer, more everyday tone.
Why Just Eat changed lanes
The shift is strategic rather than cosmetic. Just Eat UK and Ireland marketing director Victoria Gold says the priority now is to show that the platform carries all of a shopper's favourite restaurants and grocers, not just takeaways. McCann London managing director Tommy Smith points to growing choice paralysis among consumers as the problem the work is built to solve.
That reframing matters commercially. For years, delivery brands competed on hype and famous faces. By broadening the story to breakfast, lunch and the weekly grocery shop, Just Eat is repositioning from an occasional treat to an everyday habit, the kind of behaviour change that lifts order frequency rather than one-off awareness.
Marketing Minute's read
Celebrity endorsement buys instant fame, but it rarely builds brand assets you actually own. Puppets, characters and a consistent craft style do. The AA's hamster, Compare the Market's meerkats and Aldi's Kevin the Carrot all prove that invented characters can outlast any celebrity contract and grow cheaper to run over time.
There is a risk, of course. Fresh characters take longer to land than a famous face, and nine films is a big bet on consistency. But distinctive assets compound, and Just Eat is choosing long-term recognition over short-term buzz.
For smaller businesses the lesson is affordable: you do not need a celebrity to be memorable. A recurring character, a signature tone and a look you repeat everywhere will build recognition that a one-off cameo never will.
Quick FAQ
What is Just Eat's new campaign called?
It is called The Joy of Everyday, a UK brand platform from McCann London that uses stop-motion animal puppets instead of celebrities. The global Did Somebody Say identity remains in place.
Why did Just Eat drop celebrities?
Marketing director Victoria Gold frames it as a strategic move to show the breadth of the platform, from restaurants to groceries, and to cut through what McCann calls consumer choice paralysis, rather than chasing novelty.
Just Eat is doing what the best brands eventually learn: fame is rented, but a character you own is an asset you build. Walking away from celebrity at the peak of a formula takes nerve, and it is usually the right call for long-term distinctiveness. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
Celebrity gets you noticed once; a character you own gets you remembered for years. Distinctive brand assets beat borrowed fame.
Would your brand be more memorable with a famous face, or a character of its own? Tell us what you think.
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Marketing Week, Marketing Beat, Creative Salon and The Drum.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
