Through canny casting and/or clever computer trickery, ads that apparently follow people through their lives – underscoring the reassuring ever-presence of a brand – are now relatively common.

Bisto’s take on the genre is nicely executed – dodging the pitfall of bad ‘ageing’ make-up. It begins with two girls sharing the gravy at a roast dinner. We next see them as teens, then as young adults, and finally in a predictable-but-still-cute payoff, as mums, witnessing their daughters kicking off the cycle again.

It’s tricky to imagine gravy as the glue in any relationship, given its limited usage occasions (Sunday lunch or on the sofa dunking roast spuds, here) – but the ad gives it a good go, working in a few homely moments that chime nicely with the brand’s family-friendly reputation.

Much like a roast dinner, it’s not particularly exciting, but it’s good.

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