A campaign devised by Newcastle creative agency The Traveller and the Bear, with animation from Manchester production house Flipbook Studio, is bringing Landsec’s nationwide network of retail destinations to life with festive flair and humour this Christmas season.
The campaign runs across seven of Landsec’s national portfolio of prime retail destinations, including Trinity Leeds, and builds on the success of its 2024 campaign with a 20-minute prime spot on Piccadilly Lights.
This sequel sees the campaign’s returning turkey stars enter a live-action environment for the first time. Mission: Christmas reimagines the turkeys as glamorous undercover agents on a high-stakes shopping mission led, once again, by the unmistakable voice of Dame Joanna Lumley, who has joined for the third year running.
Her distinctive charm and sophistication are synonymous with our feathered friends. This year she changed things up a bit – she sets the turkeys to work and we see their mission play out across TV, Radio, OOH, social media and YouTube.
The turkeys were meticulously modelled from real-life reference, fully rigged with interacting muscle and skin and finally a complex feather system was developed to create absolute realism, showcasing the advanced artistry and technical prowess that goes into crafting realistic CGI animals.
As this was happening, the shooting of the live action backplates took place in a large Northumbrian country manor. Every scene was carefully choregraphed with pre-determined camera moves – allowing the smooth integration of CGI turkey animation that would follow further in the production line.
The campaign is running across TV and Video on Demand, OOH, radio, and social media, as well as taking centre stage on the world-famous Piccadilly Lights with an anamorphic action.
Claire Knight, managing director at The Traveller and The Bear, said: “We are so proud of this year’s campaign – our ambition was always to introduce our turkeys to the real world.It was such a technical project, luckily we have the best in the business with the skills to deliver at this level. Seeing our birds on Piccadilly Lights with a 20 minute slot this year was incredible – proper pinch-me moment.”
Andrew Lord, managing director at Flipbook Studio, added: “Crafting these turkeys was a unique challenge that our team embraced with enthusiasm. Our creature and character team has extensive experience in crafting CGI creatures that bring brands and stories to life, and this campaign allowed us to showcase that expertise in a fun, festive way. From the lifelike feathers to their larger-than-life movements, we wanted each detail to resonate with audiences and make these turkeys as memorable as possible.”
Hywel Butcher, senior marketing manager at Landsec, concluded: “The Traveller and The Bear have evolved the concept year after year, building a distinctive brand asset that has become synonymous with Landsec’s festive storytelling. Their latest work, Mission: Christmas, represents the next chapter in this ongoing creative journey — a bold evolution that takes the campaign into a live-action world for the very first time.
“The resulting work is witty, distinctive, and instantly ownable – a campaign that amplifies the Landsec brand, captivates consumers, and continues to evolve one of the UK’s most recognisable festive advertising properties. The Traveller and The Bear have once again proven themselves to be exceptional creative partners, combining strategic rigour with imagination and flair to deliver work that is both joyful and effective.”
In addition to TV, online, OOH, and broadcast, the campaign can be viewed across digital display in Landsec’s nationwide retail destinations.
