There is nothing quite so quintessentially British as Paddington Bear. Loved by kids and adults alike, the friendly, big-hearted teddy from Peru even transcended literature and film this year to become an unlikely royal mascot following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
In fact, 91% of the U.K. public has heard of Paddington, meaning he has a greater name recognition than Harry Potter.
Now, following a successful 2021 debut, Paddington has reprised his starring role in Barbour’s Christmas ad, which focuses on sustainable, thoughtful gifting at Christmas.
In line with the luxury clothing and lifestyle brand’s deepening focus on sustainable products, the ad promotes Barbour’s “Wax for Life” promise and “Re-Loved” circularity initiative which lets customers exchange one of its old classic wax jackets for a voucher.
Barbour cleans, re-waxes and repairs the jacket, extending its lifecycle. This means no two re-loved jackets are the same, making each one unique
The animated spot shows Paddington’s quest to find a present for his misunderstood, sometimes-grumpy neighbor, Mr. Curry. The bear ponders a few options in London’s famous Portobello Market along with his adoptive family, Mrs. Brown and Judy, including a marmalade sandwich (his personal favorite).
Paddington then happens upon a Barbour shop window where a sign reads: “Unique Re-Loved Jackets,” deciding this will be perfect since there’s no one quite like Mr. Curry. He then delivers the jacket, breaking the door knocker in the process.
However, the peppery recipient soon warms up when he reads the note accompanying Paddington’s gift, reading “This jacket is one of a kind, just like you.”
“Extending the life of our garments has been at the heart of our brand for over 100 years and through Barbour ‘Re-Loved,’ a key focus of our ‘Wax for Life’ initiative, we have been able to demonstrate in a humorous and sentimental way, the importance of upcycling and how much a thoughtful and unique present can mean particularly at Christmas time,” said Paul Wilkinson, group marketing director and managing director for U.S. at Barbour.
Each year, around 60,000 Barbour wax jackets are returned to Barbour’s rewaxing and repairs service globally, with the brand saying customers rely on its products to last a long time.
To support the campaign, Barbour is launching a limited-edition jacket with a unique lining taken from an image in this year’s Christmas film, each item will be upcycled and unique.
Collectible men’s and women’s wax jackets, the Bedale and Beadnell, will also be available with a special Paddington lining.
The hand-painted 2D animation was created by the acclaimed trio of directors Againstallodds and produced by Passion Pictures, who brought original illustrator Peggy Fortnum’s signature style to life.
Every frame of the animation was hand drawn and painted with more than 3,000 hours of work going into the design, animation and composition of the final film to ensure Paddington’s signature blue duffle coat and battered suitcase look perfect.
