Burberry has launched its Christmas ad, a three minute mini-epic called The Tale of Thomas Burberry, starring Sienna Miller, Dominic West, Lily James and Domhnall Gleeson.
Gleeson, who acted in both Star Wards and Harry Potter, stars as Thomas Burberry. Miller plays his wife. West plays Ernest Shackleton, the polar explorer who wore Burberry for three expeditions. James plays a fictional pilot (based on Betty Kirby-Green, who flew from England to Cape Town in 1937 dressed in Burberry).
The ad follows the new tradition of anniversary ad (this is Burberry’s 160th) – it’s a history of the brand film, celebrating Burberry’s founder – in a fictionalised love story written by Matt Charman.
The film was directed by British filmmaker, Asif Kapadia, who has four BAFTA awards under his belt. His film, Amy (2015) is the highest grossing documentary of all time in the UK and earned him an Academy Award and a Grammy in 2016. It was produced by Black Label.
Christopher Bailey, chief creative and chief executive of Burberry, said in the launch statement, “This Christmas, as we celebrate our 160th anniversary we wanted to tell the story of Thomas Burberry – pioneer, inventor, innovator, and the man behind the iconic trench coat – in our own words. The film we have made is a brief glimpse inspired by his full and extraordinary life, which threaded its way through the history of the twentieth century in all its tumultuous highs and lows.”
The ad launched on Wednesday, November 2, across social media. A shorter version is running in cinemas. Stills from the film will be used in print and on billboards.
Romeo Beckham took the spotlight in last year’s Burberry ad, a celebration of the anniversary of Billy Elliot. It was also amply filled with celebrities, including Sir Elton John, Julie Walters, James Corden, Naomi Campbell and Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery.
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