BAA-bour and other branding stories this Christmas
When I first planned this series, about how my 2-year-old son’s bedtime stories have inspired new directions in my work at Mammoth Creative, I didn’t expect Shaun the Sheep to provide an opportunity for me to weigh in on this year’s Christmas adverts and the turbulent discourse on the latest advertising trends.
But then Aardman Studios shared the 2024 Barbour Christmas advert, appropriately named “Baa-bour”, where Shaun and the flock are struggling to carol their way through a freezing winter’s night on Mossy Bottom Farm (not unlike the one I’m shivering through as I write this!). Enter Bitzer, the loyal sheepdog, with a set of Barbour scarves and hats that save the day, melting the ice and getting everyone back in festive harmony. “Give the gift of warmth”, runs the tagline, as Barbour is positioned as the stylish shield against the chill and the perfect place to shop for Christmas.
Making Magic at Aardman Studios
Aardman have always held a special place in my family, spanning two generations. I grew up watching Wallace & Gromit with my parents, and now I’m rediscovering the magic with George as we enjoy the adventures of Shaun the Sheep together. Creating such a beautiful and multi-layered world through stop-motion animation has always fascinated me. How do they achieve so much depth and emotion with such seemingly primitive methods? Take a look behind the scenes of this year’s Christmas advert to see the magic in action - sheer genius at work!
Shaun the Sheep paints an idyllic picture of the English countryside – rolling hills, winding roads, rustic farmhouses, and lush fields filled with ancient trees. George is happily immersed in this enchanting world, following the adventures of a mischievous flock of sheep. At the heart of the series are its brilliantly crafted characters. Shaun, the clever rebel, Bitzer, the weary but dutiful authority figure, and the hapless Farmer form an archetypal trio, supported by a colourful cast of human and animal characters. What’s truly remarkable is how these personalities come to life without a single word of dialogue - relying only on grunts, bleats, and gestures. Yet, they manage to evoke profound familiarity, reminding us of people we know in real life. It’s storytelling at its purest: clear, clever, and irresistibly charming. Without saying a word!
The writers of Shaun the Sheep are masters of intelligent situational comedy. From slapstick antics to cleverly orchestrated chaos, it strikes a rare balance: humour that is accessible and engaging for toddlers, yet sophisticated enough to keep adults entertained. For parents, it’s packed with cultural references and hidden gems, like the Rocky training montage in “Shape Up with Shaun”, or the playful nod to Constable’s Hay Wain in “Still Life.” Even the iconic shower scene from Hitchcock’s Psycho gets a cheeky homage in “The Little Sheep of Horrors”!
Matchmaking: why Shaun is a perfect fit for Barbour
Shaun’s universal appeal makes him a safe bet for a brand partnership with Barbour, but there are deeper reasons that make this an ideal match.
Commenting on the partnership, which began last Christmas, Paul Wilkinson, Group Commercial Director at Barbour, described the common thread between the two brands: “Barbour and Aardman share a love for quality and craftsmanship, and we’re excited to bring a story that can be enjoyed by all ages.” Rachael Peacock, Senior Brand Manager at Aardman, added: “The partnership between Barbour and Shaun the Sheep celebrates both brands’ shared values of quality and outdoor spirit.”
Both the Barbour brand and Shaun the Sheep embody a quintessential picture of rural England. At the recent IHT demonstrations in London, Barbour jackets were the uniform of the protesting farmers, so it feels natural to see the Mossy Bottom Farmer in his Liddesdale quilted Barbour jacket.
As part of the brand partnership, Barbour have released a special Shaun-themed border jacket, with a very small number to be sold in Oxfam stores this month. The limited edition launch has captured the imagination of TikTokers, Redditors, and other gen-X communities.
All in all, a smart move by two brands sharing a kindred spirit, and reaching new cross-generational audiences.
Back-to-basics in Christmas advertising
In my view, the Baa-bour Christmas advert, in all its simplicity and charm, is a sign of a back-to-basics trend in advertising this season. A Christmas scene, carol-singing (Ding Dong Merrily on High) and product placement on popular characters (the Mossy Bottom flock decked out head-to-toe in Barbour). The message is clear – Barbour brings warmth this Christmas.
John Lewis have similarly reverted to something more traditional this year. The John Lewis Christmas advert has become a cultural landmark, a mini-movie that generates enormous excitement and endless debate. But consider the themes of recent years. “Moz the Monster” in 2017, a strange ogre living under a child’s bed, backed by a slowed down Beatles cover by Elbow. “The Man on the Moon” in 2015 – a lonely old man is stuck on the moon, and a little girl manages to make contact with him at Christmas, soundtracked by a wistful cover of Half the World Away. Or “An Unexpected Guest”, 2021 – a Christmas romance between a young boy and an alien who crash-lands in the woods, set to Lola Young’s quaint cover of Together in Electric Dreams.
What do these all share in common? High production value; unusual, often surrealist storylines; a melancholy tone, reinforced by a whimsical cover song soundtrack; and absolutely NO reference to John Lewis as a retailer. You could watch the adverts from 2007-2023 and have no idea what John Lewis actually does, or sells.
This year’s advert, “The Gifting Hour”, marks a departure from these conventions. For a start, the ad actually begins INSIDE a John Lewis store. And as a woman peers through a rack of clothes, looking for a Christmas present for her sister with only 15 minutes until closing time, in kicks the uplifting acoustic guitar intro from The Verve’s Sonnet. Not an upcoming indie band covering Sonnet, but The Verve’s original song, untouched.
The protagonist tumbles Narnia-style through memories of her sister, before we crash back into the present day, armed with the perfect idea for a Christmas gift derived from a cherished childhood memory. The sisters reunite outside the store clutching their gift bags, and the end line appears: "The secret to finding the perfect gift? Knowing where to look. John Lewis."
It's smart, understated, and powerful enough to bring a teary-eyed smile to my fiancée and mother-in-law, both of whom instantly relate to its message.
Grounding the narrative
But what does this tell us about the current cultural moment? For me, it’s a reflection of broader trends in popular culture. There’s a growing cynicism towards high-budget, spectacle-driven content, and a resurgence of interest in simpler, more grounded narratives that feel authentic and accessible.
Take, for example, the contrasting fortunes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a lavish reimagining of Tolkien’s world with a reported $700 million budget, and Clarkson’s Farm, a documentary series about Jeremy Clarkson's farming adventures in the Cotswolds. In this battle, David (Clarkson’s Farm) beat Goliath (LOTR) to the top of the Amazon Prime ratings. Despite its massive budget, Rings of Power underwhelmed audiences and became embroiled in divisive debate. In contrast, Clarkson’s Farm has captivated viewers with its traditional storytelling. The John Lewis ad taps into this longing for simple and authentic storytelling, offering a refreshing break from the overblown and the complex.
Soundtrack-wise, The Verve harks back to 90s Britpop in a year when the Oasis reunion was greeted with widespread excitement. Even this throwback to guitar bands and live music, in a year dominated by AI-generated beats and content, seems to indicate a collective craving for something simpler, more real, and ultimately more human. More significantly in terms of the message, the move away from the wistful cover song evokes a change in the tone of voice of the advertiser. The slowed-down, twinkly cover songs of old conveyed an almost child-like innocence, and to me this always felt jarring, coming from large multinationals trying to sell us things. It felt just as cynical, and in many ways coincided, with the "woke-washing" of the 2010s – when corporations jumped on progressive bandwagons to appear socially conscious – a trend that already feels outdated. Maybe we don’t need the corporate opinion of M&S, Nike, or Gilette on the latest socio-political movements or crises. Do we really think the world’s largest multinationals are driven by “the cause” and not the bottom line? Of course not, and we’d rather they left the grandstanding to one side and talked about something they actually know about, and care about. Their products and services.
Perhaps this is why the John Lewis and Barbour Christmas ads feel more authentic. They cut through the noise with clearer, less pretentious marketing.
Jaguar drives in the other direction
Some brands are heading in the opposite direction, as seen with the recent Jaguar rebrand. In a bold departure from its classic luxury identity, Jaguar has shed key elements that made it instantly recognisable, including its iconic logo, and embraced a far more modern look to align with a shift towards an all-EV range.
This transformation has sparked endless critique, much of it well-founded. Phrases like “Create exuberant,” “Delete ordinary,” and “Break moulds” that feature in the launch video ring hollow. These cookie-cutter slogans are nothing more than empty catchphrases – vacuous proclamations of rebelliousness that could apply to almost any brand, regardless of industry or product. "Create exuberant" is a meaningless statement unless there are companies proclaiming the opposite. “Delete ordinary” screams social justice “woke-washing” in a glib, meaningless way – the kind that by now drives people away from the message. Using this message to accompany such a radical reimagining of the brand suggests that what heritage Jaguar had previously was “ordinary”, and this interpretation has alienated many.
But the video has gone super-viral, attracting more attention to the Jaguar brand than it has had in decades. Within 3 days, the video has had over 150 million views on X, while Google searches for Jaguar have gone through the roof.
The stock of Jaguar owners TATA Motors has rallied in subsequent days, and a recent global advertising study suggested that there is no truth in the culture war phrase “go woke, go broke” – in fact, inclusive advertising led on average to an almost 3.5% boost to shorter-term sales and a more than 16% increase in the longer term.
Sometimes you’ve got to lean into what makes you marmite.
It’s safe to say that Jaguar took this advice onboard.
Jaguar's bold and divisive rebrand has reignited interest in a name that had faded from the spotlight, perfectly timed as they prepare to launch a completely new range of EVs. By adopting a scorched-earth approach to their old identity, they’ve made a decisive break from the past, laying the groundwork for a fresh and transformative era in pursuit of new markets.
In today’s world of competing visions and partisan politics, brands are walking a tight-rope. Shaun the Sheep was a safe bet for Barbour, who, like John Lewis, chose back-to-basics over marmite. Pulling in the other direction, Jaguar seem to have taken the marmite route, and we’ll wait and see where it leads.
Who knew that your toddler’s favourite TV series could ignite such a lengthy post on the present state of creative advertising and the cultural zeitgeist?! Thanks George!
