A global pop star has the given a vote of confidence to “the power of local print advertising” after launching his Christmas single in his hometown newspaper.

Robbie Williams has confirmed he was behind a cryptic advertisement which appears in Stoke-on-Trent daily the Sentinel yesterday.

The advert featured the phrase “Can’t Stop Christmas” and “why oh why are we all waiting”, accompanied by the initials ‘RW’ below.

The ad’s placement prompted Sentinel’s Stoke-on-Trent Live sister website to quiz the singer on Twitter as to whether he was behind it.

In reply, the former Take That member, who hails from Tunstall on the newspaper’s patch, responded with a simple: “Yes.”

Sentinel editor Marc Waddington told HTFP: “We did wonder whether it might have been Robbie behind the ad, and when Robbie responded personally to our tweet about it there was no doubt at all.

“It’s great that global superstars like Robbie Williams want to support their local papers in this way.

“And clearly Robbie’s a man who understands the power of local print advertising, so let’s hope he tells all his megastar mates to do the same. We do very reasonable rates.”

Last year Coldplay revealed the track listing for its new album in a classified advert placed in the local newspapers of the band’s members – the North Wales Daily Post, Exeter Express & Echo, Fife Free Press and Southern Daily Echo.

The stunt provided inspiration for Southampton-born Radio One DJ Scott Mills, who decided to place an ad in the Daily Echo announcing the running order for his 1pm to 4pm slot the following week.