“It’s always Where’s Wally? Never Who’s Wally?”

The new festive campaign from Etsy starring Where’s Wally? Poses this question to celebrate the importance of meaningful gift-giving.

The heartwarming campaign stars the well-known red and white icon, Wally, who is looked for and spotted all around the world, but never truly seen.

In a campaign film, made with the help of Orchard Creative, audiences follow Wally walking through crowds across the globe. Although across the world Wally is well known, with people shouting his name in their own languages when they spot him, Wally’s voiceover shares that he never truly feels seen.

Audiences see Wally as he travels across the globe saying hello to his spotters. His journey ends in a cafe where he meets with a girl who is dressed in the same red and white outfit as him. The pair embrace and the girl hands Wally a gift: a pocket watch engraved with the words ‘I’m glad I found you’. The spot closes with Wally’s voiceover saying “Sometimes it takes someone who really knows you, to make you feel seen.”

The film underlines the importance of finding gifts that show you know and understand your loved ones. It highlights the array of unique and personal products available on Etsy.

“Our holiday campaign highlights how Etsy sellers aren’t just making products, they’re creating moments of connection. Whether it’s Waldo feeling recognized or stories inspired by real sellers, our creative shows how thoughtful, original gifts can make people feel celebrated by those who know them best,” says Brad Minor, Chief Brand Officer, Etsy.

The campaign will run across TV, billboards, social media, and more in both the US and UK to help shoppers think of Etsy first for all their gifting needs. The out-of-home focuses on the moments of human connection created by gift giving, featuring original gifts from Etsy sellers.

Peeling back the layers of a well-known character to show that meaningful gifting makes people feel seen, the heartwarming yet silly spot captures the joy of Christmas giving.