Barbour is launching a sustainability-themed Christmas campaign featuring Paddington Bear.
The brand’s 2022 festive film is the second year in a row they have used the bear in the run-up to the holiday, with Paddington now also famed for appearing in a video with the late Queen Elizabeth talking about his beloved marmalade sandwiches with the monarch in a clip to mark her Platinum Jubilee.
Paul Wilkinson, group marketing director and managing director USA at Barbour, said: “We are delighted to feature Paddington in our Christmas film.
“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.”
Barbour’s seasonal film includes the original Peggy Fortnum illustration style which has only ever been animated by Barbour.
The brand said it “follows the adventures of Paddington as he comes up with an idea for a thoughtful gift for his misunderstood and sometimes grumpy neighbour, Mr Curry”.
It added: “Highlighting Paddington’s kindness and good intentions, it celebrates the joy of giving a very special present that means so much.”
Barbour’s ‘Wax for Life’ initiative is focused on extending the life of their garments, and the film highlights ‘Barbour Re-Loved’, an important circularity sustainability initiative.
The brand says it enables customers who no longer have a use for their Barbour wax jacket to hand it back in return for a voucher.
Barbour cleans, re-waxes and repairs the jacket ready for it to be “re-loved” in a new home and says “no two Re-Loved jackets are the same, making each one unique”.
The hand-painted 2D Paddington animation was created by the acclaimed trio of directors againstallodds and produced by triple Academy-Award winning production company PASSION Pictures.
It was created in TV paint and aftereffects, painstakingly bringing Peggy Fortnum’s signature style to life.
Every frame of the animation has been hand drawn and painted, with more than 3000 hours of work going into the design, animation and composition of the film.
