Why Waitrose’s risk with Rivals is a scandalous success

 Ready to spice up your lunchtime? 

The first season of Rivals, a dramatisation of beloved Dame Jilly Cooper’s steamy 80s romance novel, was a massive hit. The fashion, the passion, the… moustaches? It was brave, it was raunchy, it was iconic - and definitely NSFW, so I won’t go into too much more detail on it (but if you haven’t seen it, do - tonight).

However, with season two set to release later this week on Disney+, starring the likes of David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson, Rivals has partnered with none other than Waitrose (yes, WAITROSE) to give us all an 80s jumpscare during our weekly shop.

Called ‘noshtalgia’, this range could perhaps be accused of being a quick cash-grab that capitalises on the hype surrounding the show.

It’s a risky partnership for both IPs.

For an established brand like Waitrose (a high-end supermarket chain here in the UK), collaborating with a show that wears its 18+ age rating as a badge of honour risks alienating its traditionally conservative customer base.

It’s a brand that’s built its reputation on being the best, the home of gastronauts, the crème de la crème of British supermarkets.

And for Rivals - you’d be correct in thinking Waitrose’s typical consumers aren’t exactly their target audience.

But, forget all that - because this collab works, on so many different levels - a feat that marks this as one of the best marketing campaigns of the year.

Ready to explore the allure of the Waitrose hot & spicy aisle?

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What is the Waitrose x Rivals collab?

So, apparently, the rumour is that an 80s-rollback Waitrose store will feature prominently in the new series, which makes the collab make a lot more sense.

But that didn’t mean they had to go so…delicious with it all, did it?

No longer the home of pensioners and upper-class locals, Waitrose’s Rivals range is a throwback to what we loved most about the 80s: the flavours. With sandwiches, crisps, drinks and desserts, there are two sides to every snack, with the choices pitted against each other as ‘rivals’ (genius).

The range includes:

• The Scotch Egg Sandwich (£4)
• Thousand Island Prawn Sandwich (£4)
• The Steak Diane Handcooked Crisps (£1.50)*
• Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail Flavoured Handcooked Crisps (£1.50)
• Rhubarb & Custard Dairy Ice Cream (£3.40)
• Peach Melba Dairy Ice Cream (£3.40)
• The Peach Melba Spritz (£2.50)
• Spicy Pineapple Daiquiri (£2.50)
• A limited-edition Indulgence tote (£6)

Image source: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/media-centre/latest-news/2026/23885

The branded tote bag

The tote bag is our standout favourite from the range. It’s a robust ruby red that catches the eye with bold, off-white text that reads, “Decadently scandalously delicious”. The bag is made from recycled bottles and designed to be ‘practical, yet playful’, according to John Lewis, the parent company of Waitrose.

If you’d like to recreate this showstopper for yourself with your own branding, check out our range of gorgeous totes and promotional bags - and you’ll get your brand turning heads wherever you go, too.

Read more: Saved by the merch: How brands can recreate the iconic 90s merch aesthetic

Risky, or frisky?

Waitrose is known for essentials like brioche, houmous, and quark.

Rivals is known for… well, we can’t feasibly say on the work blog in case you’re not 18+.

On paper, these two brands are polar opposites, and a collaboration between them just wouldn’t work.

On paper.

Your weekly food shop being mixed up with an illicit affair? No, thanks.

Image source: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/media-centre/media-gallery

Rivals glorifies the 80s - the shoulder pads, the hairspray, the neon - and this new range from Waitrose is like all that shoved into a soggy sandwich.

A brand doing a reminiscent nostalgic campaign isn’t anything new. So many brands over the last year have been hitting us over the head with bucket hats, retro tees and shoulder pads that I can safely say I have very well and truly travelled back in time with Bill and Ted.

Thanks, Oasis.

Read more: Reboots & revivals: Why are so many brands going back to the past?

It’s a scandalous success

With all that in mind, you’d be hard-pressed to find a marketer who’d sign off on all that.

But, luckily for Rivals and Waitrose, they did (albeit I bet their hands were just a little bit sweaty).

Because, even though both brands took a risk, it’s paid off big time.

1. Nostalgia, with a twist

Most nostalgia campaigns are pretty lacklustre. Brands throw it back to some old merch, their old logos, some old colour-ways for a few weeks, and then it’s back to business as usual. The initial enjoyment is high, but what about the returning emotional tie to a brand? If it’s not already established, the nostalgic high dies a quick death.

But this campaign is different: they’ve brought back the 80s with a modern twist. It isn’t just a spread of lukewarm chicken Kyiv, mushy trifle, or fluorescent Angel Delight; it’s our favourite flavours from the 80s reimagined into what we love most: a quick bite to eat.

"The 80s are back with a fresh twist, and we can only apologise that we didn’t launch these decades ago! We’re coming together with Disney+ in celebration of the new season of “Rivals” to deliver the iconic flavours customers crave, reimagined for today.”

Maddy Wilson, Director of Own Brand at Waitrose

Read more: From boring to viral: how the National Trust won over Gen Z

2. It’s gamification gone giddy

The idea that two sandwiches must compete for the chance to tantalise your taste buds is one of those weird ideas that only a marketer could think of.

Within the entire range, in each sub-category, two flavour sensations must go head-to-head, with only one winner. This is gamification in action, with shoppers encouraged to ‘play the game’ by trying all the flavours to pick their favourite.

I mean, if I have to.

“It's a celebration of pure joy and food that will give every food lover something to talk about."

Maddy Wilson, Director of Own Brand at Waitrose

Image source: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/media-centre/latest-news/2026/23885

3. Scarcity on aisle three

The collab is timely. There are only so many days/weeks in which the hype of Rivals will last beyond the first episode before another show takes its place - and Waitrose knows this.

That’s why the whole range is limited edition only: meaning when it’s gone, it’s gone.

Scarcity marketing tactics like this create an emotional urgency in the buyer, encouraging quicker and more impulse-led purchases.

With fans only getting a brief window to enjoy the flavours of their favourite show, they’re more likely to buy now, think about it later - a win-win for both brands.

But not for my purse *cries*.

4.  Double-whammy emotional damage

Usually, a campaign will be lucky if it’s emotionally resonant with one demographic, let alone two. But for the Waitrose x Rivals campaign, there’s an emotional double-whammy as it bridges two emotional audiences at one.

First, there’s the nostalgia-loving shopper. They might have grown up in the 80s, love a bit of Hairspray, and still wear leather jackets.

Then, there’s the fans of the show, people who read Jilly Cooper between classes, who read passages to their friends behind the lockers, who binged the series over a weekend with a big bowl of jelly and ice cream (...).

It’s pop culture meets a look down memory lane - a powerful combination.

Read more: What Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte can teach us about emotional branding

Why this is a win for Waitrose

Other than making our lunchtimes a little bit more saucy, this Rivals collab is a massive win for Waitrose for several reasons.

1. Not just for Lords and Ladies

Often judged as being overly posh, this out-of-character pop-culture collaboration negates all of that, helping to broaden the brand’s appeal and improve brand visibility with shoppers who might have never ventured into the store otherwise.

2. Sense of humour loading

Plus, Waitrose is known for playing it safe. Fancy? Yes. Good quality? Most definitely. Funny? Err, no.

But by stocking the shelves with side-splitting sandwiches, Waitrose brings a dash of humour to their brand, changing their tone from haughty to hilarious with one swift campaign, without compromising its core identity.

Image source: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/media-centre/media-gallery

3. Waitrose has entered the chat

Rivals season one scored an impressive 95% Rotten Tomatoes critic score, with critics calling it the ‘juiciest’ and ‘most-addictive’ series of 2024.

So, it’s safe to say that the hype for season two is pretty big.

I don’t know about you, but when the trailer came out a few weeks ago, I must have watched it about half a dozen times, as it was just everywhere over my social feeds (not mad about it).

But that means that this campaign already has a head start, as the momentum behind the brand name already exists. The show already has the audience, the aesthetic, and the conversation around it. Waitrose just needed to enter the chat (and oh, boy, did they).

With a show as hyped-up as Rivals, fans will do anything to become a part of the narrative, even spending a tenner on a lunchtime meal deal.

Image source: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/media-centre/media-gallery

Rivals? More like BBFS with benefits.

1. A six-pack of credibility

By associating with a brand like Waitrose, a cornerstone of British culture since 1904, the show legitimises itself.

With new streaming services popping up overnight, we’re spoilt for choice in what to watch, but the quality isn’t always there. We can be hesitant to try a new show, especially one as risqué as Rivals, if we aren’t 100% trusting of it before we’ve even clicked play (even if it’s on Disney+).

Image source: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/media-centre/media-gallery

2. The new hire? It’s you

This collaboration allows fans to interact with Rivals IRL, as if they were David Tennant’s new secretary, grabbing a quick lunch before heading into a meeting (one can dream).

By turning viewers into active participants, Rivals brings its audience into the fold, creating emotional engagement like no other.

But, before you enjoy your Thousand Island Prawn Sandwich and wash it all down with a Peach Melba Spritz, don’t forget to take a picture, yeah?

The bold packaging and retro branding are just calling out to be on the grid. UGC (user-generated content) like that, as well as organic online reviews from discovering something limited-edition and exclusive, is gold dust for Rivals’ advertising team.

Image source: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/media-centre/latest-news/2026/23885

Read more: 4 social media experts share their TikTok trend predictions for 2026

3. Not just for 20-somethings

Those who shop at Waitrose might not have seen the news of the show on socials or streaming; they might not have even realised a whole new season was about to drop.

But, by placing Rivals merch in one of the UK’s top 10 supermarket branches, the show gets under the noses, and the taste buds, of those that might never have been actively interested before.

And, as they say, curiosity may have killed the cat, but no harm ever came from checking out a show you’ve seen advertised in Waitrose.

What your brand can learn from the Waitrose x Rivals collab

Here’s the kicker: everything that the Waitrose x Rivals collab has done, you can replicate with your own brand (but hopefully, more work-appropriately).

1. Borrow relevance

It’s super tricky and long to build cultural relevance from scratch. That’s why by strategically borrowing it from other brands, via collabs and partnerships, you’ll get immediate momentum for the campaign.

2. Scarcity tactics always work

When something feels temporary, it automatically feels more desirable. You don’t want to miss out, do you?

Limited-edition product launches encourage quicker decision-making from consumers, and turning “I’ll purchase that later” into “I need it now!”

Read now: Are Labubus trolling marketers? What B2B brands can learn from the latest TikTok craze

3. The unexpected has instant audience buy-in

We all think we’re smarter than we are, so when something happens that makes us stop and question because it’s so unexpected, that’s instant attention, because the unexpected created curiosity - and if it’s obvious, it’s boring.

4. Merch ties it all together

Whether it’s packaging, merchandise, limited-edition products or collectables, tangible experiences help transform passive audiences into engaged customers.

And products that are the main protagonists? Well, audiences just need to get their hands on them, so they too can be the leading lady.

It’s true: people are more emotionally connected to brands they can physically interact with.

And stronger emotional connections equal more memorable moments, which equal brand loyalty - it’s called ROE, darlin’.

What’s ROE?

ROE, or Return on Emotion, is all about turning every activation into an unforgettable, brand-defining moment fueled by emotional connections and reactions.

Because, did you know, 64% of consumers are more likely to remain loyal to a brand with which they feel an emotional connection? And with 95% of purchase decisions driven by emotion, brands are harnessing these insights to build meaningful connections that inspire loyalty and engagement through emotional bonds.

Aww - grab the tissues.

You can read more about Return on Emotion over at Brand Revolution.

Slip into something more branded

If you asked me at the start of the year if I’d be writing about a Waitrose x Rivals collab, I would have asked if you’d been eating the Vienetta straight from the freezer again.

But, now, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a marketer that doesn’t agree this is pure pop-culture branding magic, who’s only a little bit jealous they didn’t come up with the idea themselves.

And the reason why we love it so much? Products are at the core of the whole iconic campaign.

It’s something brands still miss out on, but branded products, be it a tote bag, a sandwich wrapper, or ice cream tub, are more than just packaging and throwaways. They’re marketing tools, conversation starters and cultural touchpoints all rolled into one.

And a campaign that can wrap entertainment, emotions, scarcity and shelf appeal into an impressive marketing version of an Arctic roll is something to admire.

It’s something to try and replicate.

For Waitrose, it’s brought playfulness, relevance and impulse appeal. For Rivals, it extended the show beyond the screen and into people’s everyday lives.

And for other brands watching closely? It’s proof that the most effective collaborations are ones that can be touched, the ones that bring the brand to life, physically and emotionally.

Because in a world oversaturated with content, the brands people remember are the ones that give them something tangible to experience.

And sometimes, all it takes is a saucy prawn cocktail sandwich.

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