We know that capturing our customers’ imaginations is key to winning Christmas. For customers, Spending it Well at Christmas means being generous, and Paddington’s generous spirit and his ability to see the good in everyone epitomised this thought.Īnd finally the partnership made sense commercially: it provided M&S with a shortcut to fame at a competitive time of the year, an opportunity to sell exclusive merchandise, and a platform for activating the campaign both in stores and across digital and social channels. Spent it Well is a really powerful call to arms, but also an attitude and distinctive point of view for M&S. Launched last summer, M&S' new brand thought Spend it Well is all about inspiring and enabling M&S customers to make the most of every moment by focusing on the quality, people and things that really matter. The 2014 film adaptation of the classic Paddington story was a huge success and we had a feeling the 2017 sequel was likely to be equally engaging.īeyond our attraction to such a loved and iconic character, the fit was right because of shared values between Paddington and M&S.

Since then he has been featured in more than 150 books translated into 30 languages. Paddington was first conceived by Michael Bond in 1968. It didn’t take the M&S team long to decide that the combination of M&S and Paddington made a lot of sense.įor one thing, Paddington and M&S are both iconic brands fortunate to enjoy widespread awareness and admiration by the British public. Claus had even seen the light of day) we were contacted by Studio Canal about a potential partnership between M&S and Paddington, centred around the launch of the Paddington 2 film. More than a year before the 2017 campaign was to launch (even before our 2016 campaign starring Mrs.

A powerful partnership of British brand icons This is the second year I was fortunate to lead Christmas across M&S and here are three key themes to highlight.ġ. Royal Carols: Together At Christmas was filmed on December 15 in front of an audience of more than 1,800 people at Westminster Abbey and was narrated by Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.The 2017 edition of the Marks & Spencer Christmas campaign landed last month, featuring a ground-breaking partnership with the much-loved character Paddington Bear. In the beginning of the programme, Kate was also seen showing a never-before seen photo of the late Queen as she was performing during the second World War. The service also includes carol singing and performances by the Westminster Abbey choir, West End star Samantha Barks, and a duet from Alfie Boe and Melanie C. Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended the service with their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Paddington's christmas post