Elf, Reindeer, Mouse and Angel, the animated Myer Christmas decorations invented by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, are back for their third year.

And this year, Elf is looking for decorations who take Christmas more seriously than his “family” – Reindeer, Mouse and Angel – does. But this year’s story has a message about what matters at Christmas, and Elf realises that Christmas should be spent with those he loves. So he goes back home.

The film, Elf’s Journey, again created by animation studio Aardman, launched via an MCN partnership in which it featured exclusively across Ten and Foxtel for the first 24 hours. Myer is donating $1 to The Salvation Army for every share of the film on Facebook.

And this year for the first time, Elf and his friends are featuring in Myer’s Christmas windows as well as in a printed children’s storybook titled, The completely and utterly, absolutely perfect Christmas, available to purchase in all Myer stores and online.

Helping the storybook’s magic is Elfvision, an augmented reality app in which pages come to life when viewed through a mobile phone or a tablet. Elfvision is also being used to bring Myer’s seasonal catalogues, gift cards, gift tags, Instagram walls and an AR treasure hunt in all Myer stores to life. It’s available for download in the iTunes and Google Play stores.

And merchandise featuring the popular characters is available in all Myer stores.

Stephen de Wolf, executive creative director, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, commented, “The heart of this year’s story is the meaning of togetherness at Christmas. And at a time of year when many Australian’s and their families may be finding it tough, the hope is the important partnership between Myer and the Salvation Army can make their Christmas together a little better. We’re delighted to see our characters back for a third year, and having the story come to life in Myer’s iconic Christmas windows is truly special.”