The Christmas ad season is no stranger to cute characters, as brands attempt to tap into consumers’ sentimental sides. John Lewis has put a festive spin on everything from baby dragons to oversized monsters over the years, while M&S’ animated version of Percy Pig proved to be one of last year’s biggest hits.

This year, Lidl has entered the cute-off with its own Christmas character, in the form of the adorable but amusingly expressionless Lidl Bear. The bear’s story begins when a dad accidentally shrinks his Lidl jumper in the wash, and his daughter has the ingenious idea of putting it on her teddy bear.

The stuffed toy quickly finds fame in the aisles of the supermarket, before becoming the (deadpan) face of its festive campaign. But amid the highs and lows of instant fame, he eventually comes to understand the things that really matter at Christmas.

In a departure from the merch-heavy approach taken by most brands who have got a cute character on tap, you won’t find Lidl Bear for sale in any of the supermarket’s stores. Instead, he has provided the inspiration for Lidl’s new Christmas charitable drive.

Lidl Bear’s Toy Bank is a nationwide donation initiative, which includes a £125,000 donation from the brand, and will provide new and unwrapped toys and games to children across the UK through the Neighbourly community network.

Amid the wider context of the cost of living crisis, the supermarket has also committed an additional £125,000 to charitable work during the festive period, including the donation of over one million meals.

Credits:
Creative Agency: Accenture Song
Creative Lead: Victoria Foster
Design Lead: Michael Hirst
Chief Creative Officer: Nik Studzinski
Creative Directors: Luke Ramm, Joe Holt, Robert Amstell, Matthew Lancod
Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: David Kerr
DoP: Simon Chaudoir
AD: Phil Booth
Production Designer: Jacqueline Abrahams
Post Production: Rascal Post
ECD/VFS Supervisor/2D Lead Compositor: Andrew ’Barnsley’ Wood