M&S launches 2017 Christmas ad campaign featuring Paddington Bear
Marks & Spencer ran one joint Christmas 2017 campaign across fashion, food and home, with Paddington Bear starring in its festive ad.
This summary was written by AI to complete the context; it is not based on a current source.
In early November 2017, Marks & Spencer, the British high-street retailer, launched its Christmas advertising with Paddington Bear, the much-loved children's book character, in the lead role of a festive television ad.
Unlike in some earlier years, when the company had promoted its clothing, food and home ranges through separate campaigns, M&S used a single combined campaign for all three areas. The aim was to present the brand as one offer at the most important selling period of the year, rather than as a set of unrelated departments.
The launch mattered because Christmas adverts have become a major event in British retail. Big chains release them in the weeks before December, and they attract wide media coverage and social media discussion. M&S was competing for attention with its long-running rival John Lewis, whose own Christmas ad is among the most anticipated each year. The 2017 Paddington campaign became one of the reference points in the continuing contest between the two retailers, which later campaigns, including the latest topless Santa ad, have echoed.
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