Barbour Launches New Christmas Campaign With A Heart Warming Tale On Sustainability And Why Repairing A Much Loved Item Can Mean So Much… And It's All Based On A True Customer Story
"Father Christmas To the Rescue"
NEWCASTLE, England, Nov. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading heritage and lifestyle brand, Barbour has launched its 2020 Christmas campaign which for the second year is inspired by the popular children's books written and illustrated by Raymond Briggs and the iconic 1991 animated special Father Christmas.
The film follows a young boy whose dog has chewed his father's beloved Barbour wax jacket. The boy writes to Father Christmas to say that he doesn't want a present this year, he just needs his help to repair his father's jacket in time for Christmas. Father Christmas realises he can't mend the jacket himself but has the bright idea of taking it to the Barbour factory in South Shields to see whether they can assist. The Barbour customer service team inspect the jacket and reassure him that it can be mended. They set to work repairing the jacket and give it a rewax too, so it looks as good as new. Father Christmas then delivers the jacket back to the boy on Christmas Eve to give to his father on Christmas Day. The film ends with the family out for a dog walk on Christmas Day, the little boy smiling and happy and the father proudly wearing his newly restored Barbour jacket.
The film is based on the true story of Dudley the dachshund who chewed his owner's much adored Barbour jacket. His owner sent it back to Barbour with a note from Dudley to say he was sorry! For almost a hundred years, Barbour has been rewaxing and repairing jackets in its South Shields HQ giving a new lease of life to old favourites. Regular rewaxing (and repairs if required) extends the life of a Barbour jacket and many wax jackets are handed down through generations of a family making them a very sustainable choice.
Paul Wilkinson, Global Marketing and Commercial Director, Barbour said "This is a very special Christmas campaign for us as it's based on a true story from one of our customers. The film highlights how much our Barbour jackets are loved and become an important part of the family. Barbour wax jackets are made to last – they're very sustainable and if you rewax your jacket at least once a year, it could last you a lifetime even if a naughty dachshund does decide to get his teeth into it!"
Award winning 2D animation studio, Illuminated Films, produced the animation for the film using computer assisted animation, compositing and special effects software TV Paint. "Father Christmas to the Rescue" was written and directed by Dave Unwin, along with Art Director Loraine Marshall and a number of leading British animators. Working closely with the production team at Illuminated Films, Barbour's integrated creative agency, Thinking Juice one of the UK's top ten independents, came up with the narrative of 'Father Christmas to the Rescue' and the creative elements of the campaign. The voice of Father Christmas for the second year running is actor Colin McFarlane.
The agreement was brokered by The Copyrights Group, a Vivendi Company, who have been the licensing agents for Father Christmas for nearly 30 years. Rachel Clarke, SVP of Licensing and Retail UK at The Copyrights Group sad 'We are thrilled to be partnering with Barbour for the second year running with this new Father Christmas campaign and are really looking forward to seeing it come to life."
Iain Harvey, Producer at Illuminated Films, comments 'Working with Barbour and their team is always inspiring as they fully understand the wonderful character Raymond Briggs created, making the production great fun and a nice challenge to the animators.'
"Father Christmas to the Rescue" will be live to watch from 9 November 2020 at 1200 GMT via Barbour's YouTube channel and Facebook.
For further information, please visit www.barbour.com.
To watch the Barbour Christmas film via the Barbour website, follow the link below:
You can also find the film via the YouTube link below:
#BarbourChristmas
For further information on the campaign, please contact: barbour@exposure.net
Notes to Editors
About Barbour
Originally established by John Barbour in 1894 in South Shields in the North East of England to provide protective outerwear to fishermen, sailors and mariners from the worst of the British weather, today, Barbour offers a complete wardrobe of clothes, accessories and footwear for men, women and children. Shirts, knitwear, trousers and accessories are now just as much in demand as Barbour's iconic outerwear. Forever synonymous with the British countryside, Barbour's collections now span from the best practical country clothing to the more urban fashion. There's a choice of different ranges for all ages and lifestyles, from technical sporting clothing to country heritage fashion styles, all inspired by Barbour's archives and re-interpreted into modern, contemporary silhouettes.
A family owned 5th generation brand, Barbour is a global success story sold in over 40 countries worldwide including Germany, Italy, Spain, France, the US and Japan and holds three Royal Warrants from HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Prince of Wales. In 2019 Barbour celebrated its 125 anniversary – a significant milestone in the company's history.
About Father Christmas
A unique and unforgettable representation of a classic character by Raymond Briggs, the creator of The Snowman™.
Father Christmas was published by Hamish Hamilton in 1973, and in 1975 Raymond Briggs filled us in on what Father Christmas does the other 364 days of the year in the book Father Christmas Goes on Holiday.
Mel Smith voices a wonderfully grumpy Father Christmas in the Blooming Productions' animation. Now a seasonal classic in both video/DVD and broadcast, Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas is a warm, robust and celebratory favourite.
About the Illuminated Film Company
Illuminated Films is a leading British animation studio with several successful series under its belt, including the 4-time BAFTA nominated Little Princess series, award winning Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Stories, and the ratings success The Rubbish World of Dave Spud for CITV. Illuminated Films is also the distributor of the film Father Christmas and other animated titles.
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