BUDDY THE ELF TAKES CENTRE STAGE IN ASDA'S JOY-FUELLED CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN
Asda has introduced a very special festive colleague, and star of its 2022 Christmas campaign: Buddy the Elf, under license from Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products. Created by Havas London, the campaign uses original footage from Elf to plant the beloved Buddy right at the heart of a bustling Asda store in the build-up to his favourite time of the year, Christmas. This is the first time Elf has been licensed for brand marketing. Licensing of Elf was managed by Born Licensing and Will Ferrell by Talent Republic.
Vicki Maguire, Chief Creative Officer at Havas London says: “No one embodies the feeling of Christmas more than Buddy the Elf. We can all identify with that wonderful, wide-eyed anticipation and childlike wonder at every bauble or flake of snow. He lives for Christmas – and right now, that sense of unapologetic joy is just what we need. So, who better to be hired as an Asda seasonal colleague – he’s even branded in Asda colours! It's the perfect partnership for Asda to ensure everyone is able to have the Christmas they deserve this year.”
Danny Kleinman, Director, says: "For me this was a unique challenge, working with an A list Hollywood actor, without him being there in person, and crafting other actors around his iconic performance. It was important not only to make the action seamless but also convincingly transport him to a Christmas Asda store, creating a Hollywood feel to Asda’s Christmas celebrations.”
BEHIND THE SCENES
In order to seamlessly integrate classic footage into an all-new production, Framestore relied on meticulous planning and deft-touch VFX techniques. Having skilfully rotoscoped Buddy out of the original film, the team helped fit an entire new world around him that was faithful down to the last eyeline, shadow and cast interaction. Intricate match grading then provided the final festive touch, bringing our modern world closer to the look, feel and spirit of the beloved original film.
The campaign also sees in-store Tannoy announcements from Buddy himself, and Asda-exclusive Elf-themed food and clothing. Asda will also highlight 12 iconic products spanning its mid-tier, general merchandising, Extra Special, and George ranges through a number of product-led TV, social and print ads.
BORN LICENSING REUNITES WITH TALENT REPUBLIC TO BROKER IP AND TALENT AGREEMENT
You can't have Warner Bros.' Buddy the Elf without Will Ferrell! Securing agreements with both parties was crucial in bringing this campaign to life. This is the fourth campaign we've collaborated on with Talent Republic, having already worked together for Marks & Spencer's Christmas campaign featuring Bridget Jones' Diary, British Airways' Centenary campaign with Winnie the Pooh, and Barclays Entertainment's campaign starring The Muppets.
When Havas first shared the concept, we knew it would be a challenge especially as Elf had never before been licensed for marketing. “Elf is one of the most popular Christmas films of all time, and Rights Holders are extremely protective of IP that is as cherished as this” David Born, CEO of Born Licensing said.
Of course, getting the Elf Rights Holders comfortable was only half the battle. With a campaign as big as this, once the deal has been agreed the work is only just getting started. To ensure the campaign would stay true to the Buddy character and Elf brand, all campaign material had to be submitted to both Warner Bros. and Will’s team for review. This process was managed by Amber Cheung at Born Licensing and Ella Barker at Talent Republic, who had to ensure submissions were being made efficiently due to the tight timings. “No one knows the IP more than the Rights Holder, so the approval process is a critical opportunity to ensure the campaign material feels authentic, which is in everyone’s best interests”, said Born.
READ MORE ABOUT OUR WORK WITH BUDDY THE ELF
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