Marks & Spencer in the UK is running a Christmas advertising campaign featuring Mrs Claus, played by Janet McTeer. Jake, a six year old boy, sends off a letter to Mrs Claus, revealing his troubled relationship with his annoyed 12-year-old sister Anna and a pet dog called Tiger. Mrs Claus, after sending her husband off around the world, sets to work via her ice cave, snowmobile and red helicopter. Mrs Claus flies from Lapland to London to deliver Anna’s present of red glittery trainers on Christmas morning. As she departs, it magically begins to snow, delivering a white Christmas for all to enjoy. All products featured in the Marks & Spencer Christmas 2016 advert are available in selected M&S stores and online, including Anna’s red glittery trainers.
More from Mrs Claus
Mrs Claus will be helping M&S make every moment special for its customers this Christmas. Living beyond the ad, she’ll open her world and point of view outside the TV ad – from social media takeovers featuring her own emoji and hashtag #LoveMrsClaus to offering outfit and gift inspiration on in store décor. M&S’s store teams will be getting involved by carrying out 15,000 acts of Mrs Claus kindness for customers, from free coffee for a Café regular to a party makeover for a customer in need of a pick-me-up.
Marks & Spencer is promoting the magical, festive journey of Mrs Claus online at http://ift.tt/2fSrVQ9.
M&S has created an exclusive partnership with Channel 4 to launch the campaign. Following a week of co-branded teaser activity across the Channel 4 network and in social media, Mrs Claus will appear in a special ad break where she will officially kick off the festive season on the channel. A specially created spot narrated by David Mitchell provides advice from Mrs Claus, with seasonal style tips to Dawn O’Porter, Christmas decoration suggestions for Kirsty and Phil and festive food inspiration to Jimmy Doherty.
Marks & Spencer Christmas 2016 Credits
The Marks & Spencer Christmas 2016 campaign was developed at RKCR/Y&R by executive creative directors Mark Roalfe and Jonathan Burley, creatives Psembi Kinstan and Alice Burton, agency producer Danielle Sandler, assistant producer Carmela Vitale, business lead Priya Patel, and account manager Lucy Bugler, working with M&S head of brand marketing Maria Koutsoudakis and executive director of customer marketing Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne.
Filming was shot by director Tom Hooper via Smuggler with producer Molly Pope, director of photography Justin Brown, costume designer Paco Delgado, production designer Robin Brown.
Editor was Paul Watts at The Quarry with producer Charlie Morris.
Post production was done at The Mill by executive producer Chris Batten, producer Clare Melia, 2D lead and shoot supervisor Andrew “Barnsley” Wood, 3D lead and shoot supervisor Robert Holmes, 2D artists Ahmed El-Azma, Georgina Ford, James Pratt, James MacLachlan, Paul Wratten, 3D artists Antonio Filippin, Jack Harris, Dan Yargici, Luca Cantani, Giacomo Cavalletti, Thomas Bourret, Sergio Xisto, Peter Agg, Jiyoung Lee, Nathan Powell, Anthony Northman, Vaclav Cizkovsky, Audun Ase, matte painter Can Y. Sanalan, motion graphics team (studio) Will Denning and Ivo Sousa, colourist Seamus O’Kane, with assistant colour team Thomas Mangham, Brendan Buckingham, Oisin O’Driscoll, and Jim Bracher.
Sound design was done at Wave Studios by sound designer Parv Thind and executive producer Rebecca Boswell.
Music supervision was done at Native by managing director Dan Neale, head of production Fred Ashworth and composer Rachel Portman.