Fortnum & Mason Are the 'Masters of Merry' in New Christmas Ad from Aardman

Making Christmas merrier since 1707, Fortnum & Mason is this year celebrating their enduring authority as the ultimate Christmas destination for over 300 years.

Fortnum’s have been serving up feasting and festivities through 12 reigns of the monarchy. In that time it has been witness to momentous change as barriers have been broken and orders reset. Yet in all these years, one thing has happily remained the same – Christmas. In a world that’s ever evolving and increasingly fast-paced, Christmas has stayed as charmingly familiar as gifts under the tree; a much needed respite at the end of an eventful year. 

Zia Zareem-Slade, customer experience director, Fortnum & Mason, comments: "This season has always been at the heart of Fortnum & Mason. The extraordinary food, the joy-giving gifts, the exceptional moments - it’s the time of year when we are at our best. And while many things will change in the next 300 years, the joy of Fortnum’s at Christmas is one thing that won’t. It’s a proud moment for the brand to see our spirit translated into film - we hope it will bring a smile to customers all around the world.”

As a first for Fortnum’s, the campaign has been brought to life this year as a 45 second film. Created and written by creative agency Otherway in collaboration with the Fortnum & Mason team and produced by Aardman. The film showcases the scale of change that has happened over the past 300 years, while the spirit of Christmas (and spirit of Fortnum’s) happily remains the same through generations. 

"In a world of big brands and small upstarts all fighting to be authentic, we thought it was time to celebrate Fortnum & Mason’s place as the original on a global stage through a digitally led campaign," said Ben Lewin, Partner, Otherway. "It’s a whistle stop tour of the past 300 years and a celebration of the fact that Christmas isn’t Christmas without Fortnum & Mason.”

A mix of original archive footage was sourced and edited down to best set the scene for 300 years of change, mixed with live footage of products shot within the Piccadilly London store. While original Edward Bawden illustrations from the 1950s found in the Fortnum's archive have been carefully reproduced in digital form and brought to life for the first time through animation to add an extra Fortnum’s wink to the end of the film. 

Gavin Strange, director, Aardman, said: "We wanted to make something joyous and merry, charming and captivating. It was such a pleasure to work with Fortnum & Mason - bringing their iconic Edward Bawden illustrations to life. The icing on the cake was looking through 300 years of change and seeing the importance that Christmas still brings to each generation.”

The 45 second film launched globally on 1st November 2018 and will be shown exclusively on digital and social channels. The Masters of Merry campaign will be delivered across all channels and in various formats - from the famous Fortnum & Mason Piccadilly flagship windows, through letterboxes as the Christmas brochure and online.