E-commerce firm Etsy is exploring the daily struggles faced by ‘Where’s Wally’s’ titular character as he looks for a moment of peace in the crowded festive rush.
The campaign, which was devised by creative shop Orchard Creative, will run across TV, out-of-home and social media platforms in the UK and the US.
According to the brand, its TV spot, produced by Smuggler and directed by Tom Speers, was built around the universal desire to be “seen”.
The ad features a Where’s Wally style game, where people spot Wally as he ventures out into the world. But despite being found, Wally feels overlooked and unnoticed until he returns home and is greeted with a personalised gift.
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Etsy, chief brand officer, Brad Minor said: “We wanted to create a campaign that captures the emotional magic of meaningful gift-giving – how Etsy sellers create gifts that make people feel truly seen and understood. Waldo is such an iconic character, someone who’s always being spotted in a crowd but never truly known.
“That insight sparked the creative idea to flip the narrative – what if this holiday, Waldo finally felt seen for the first time? Our holiday campaign highlights how Etsy sellers aren’t just making products, they’re creating moments of connection. Whether it’s Waldo feeling recognised or stories inspired by real sellers, our creative shows how thoughtful, original gifts can make people feel celebrated by those who know them best.”
A second TV spot will also be released featuring an Etsy gift seller who hand paints an ornament for a family who are spending their first Christmas without their golden retriever.
Beyond its TV ads, the brand is also teaming up with Drew Barrymore and Naomi Osaka for a social media series in which the stars share their favourite gifts.
Orchard Creative creative director, Christine Taffe added: “We, along with our director Tom Speers, wanted to step into Wally’s life and share his experience. To see Wally’s world not from the book’s bird’s-eye view, but Wally’s view. That meant we spent most of our storytelling focused on how interactions with Wally happen and feel, showing how his days are peppered by people excitedly finding him around the world.
“All eyes are on him, but no one ever stops to ask how he is, or who he is. Which again, makes the Etsy gift he gets from his friend Wenda, someone who really knows him, feel like home.”
