I always felt sorry for Craig David. Bo’ Selecta! caricatured him so brutally it derailed one of the most British musicians of a generation. And on the face of it, seeing him front an ad for a takeaway company might feel like another punchline. Sad. But it’s so much more.
This week Just Eat UK&I launched a new localised chapter of its long-running Did Somebody Say platform, and for the first time, the focus is firmly on the UK and Ireland. Developed by McCann London, the campaign casts Craig David to reimagine the brand’s now-iconic jingle through a distinctly British cultural lens.
Unlike past global iterations featuring Snoop Dogg, Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera and Latto, this campaign leans local. David’s garage-infused remix nods to his own 2002 track What’s Your Flava?, scoring a 60-second hero film directed by Romain Chassaing and set on the surreal “Impossible Street,” where neighbours’ cravings, from baby-fuelled parents to self-care bathers, unfold in quick succession.
“It’s an honour to team up with Just Eat and bring a garage flava to the iconic track,” David said. “I’ve always been about celebrating communities, and the lyrics get to the heart of everyday moments that connect us all.”
Andrew Cocker, UK&I Marketing Director at Just Eat, framed it as more than a cameo: “This campaign is a brilliant celebration of community, perfectly capturing how Just Eat serves every household and every need across the UK and Ireland. Whether it’s a takeaway for a cosy night in, a last-minute grocery item for busy families, or a self care treat, Just Eat is there for every moment.”
Remind yourself of this epic era of music, if you will.
There’s depth in the execution. McCann’s creative directors Rob Webster and Alexei Berwitz leaned into the hyperlocal insight that “every neighbour got their flava.” McCann Content Studios layered on lo-fi, VHS-style social assets, disposable camera snapshots, and acapella versions to give the campaign a fandom feel. The Diversity Standards Collective worked alongside the teams to ensure the households represented across the UK and Ireland felt authentic.
What’s striking is that the track itself almost plays like a hit. Strip away the grocery references, and you have a Craig David single that could live on radio. That blurring of advert and anthem is deliberate: Just Eat isn’t just borrowing culture, it’s producing it.
As McCann London CEO Mel Arrow put it: “Craig David is an icon, UK garage is an institution, and this campaign signals a new, localised era of relevance for the Just Eat brand.”
With media by UM, social planning from DEPT®, and creator-first activations by Billion Dollar Boy, the campaign launches across TV, DOOH, radio, cinema, and digital. The hero spot debuts Friday 5 September during Channel 4’s Gogglebox.
An album to follow?
Credits:
Client – Just Eat UK&I
- Ralph Rijks, Global CMO
- Claire Pointon, Managing Director UK&I
- Andrew Cocker, Marketing Director UK&I
Creative Agency – McCann London
- Mel Arrow, CEO
- Emiliano De Pietri, CCO
- Aaron Harridge, Head of Strategy
- Regan Warner, Executive Creative Director
- Rob Webster & Alexei Berwitz, Creative Directors
- Adam Taylor-Smith & Stephen Yeates, Senior Creatives
Production – Academy Films
- Director: Romain Chassaing
- Executive Producers: Simon Cooper, Medb Riordan
- Producer: Neil Andrews
- DOP: Giuseppe Favale
Music
- “Every Neighbour Got Their Flava” performed by Craig David
- Writers: Craig David, Michael Engmann, Ben Smith, Jordan Crisp, Toni Robinson, Adam Smyth
- Producer: Mike Brainchild
Additional Partners
- Social: McCann Content Studios / DEPT®
- Media: UM
- PR: Mischief (UK), Teneo (Ireland)
.webp)
.webp)