OTHERWAY and Studio AKA bring Fortnum & Mason's 'A Fantastical Christmas' to life

Fortnum & Mason has revealed its new Christmas campaign, created by London studio OTHERWAY in collaboration with BAFTA-winning animation house Studio AKA. Titled A Fantastical Christmas, the work builds on last year's festive direction but places the spotlight firmly on the brand's historic home at 181 Piccadilly.

The campaign continues Fortnum's partnership with Berlin-based illustrator Olaf Hajek, whose hand-painted characters have become closely tied to the brand's Christmas identity. This time, the characters take viewers on a whimsical tour of the building, slipping behind the scenes to reveal the craft, care and seasonal rituals that go into Fortnum's products.

Across a 30-second hero film, the animated cast moves through a sequence of tiny vignettes: adding fizz to champagne, wrapping the famous gift boxes, preparing tea, and, finally, assembling a hamper that travels out of the building in the closing shot. The moment also nods to Fortnum's newly unveiled Double Helix staircase, which opened last month as a sweeping architectural centrepiece.

The animation blends CG product rendering with 2D textures that mimic the tactile, paper-like quality of Hajek's illustrations, giving the film a stop-frame warmth reminiscent of childhood TV specials. "This year we have crafted a much more ambitious campaign that aims to bring viewers into the magic of 181 Piccadilly," says animation director Marcus Armitage.

Alongside the film, the campaign rolls out across OOH, using snapshot moments to hero Hajek's illustrations and Fortnum's festive range. Crispin Butler, director of marketing and communications at Fortnum & Mason, explains how the work represents a joyful continuation of the brand's seasonal storytelling.

She says: "For the longest time, Fortnum & Mason has been at the centre of the best Christmas stories, and this year we're proud to unveil a joyful new chapter with Olaf's distinctive illustrations and our iconic 181 Piccadilly store at the heart of the storytelling."

Ben Lewin, design partner at OTHERWAY, adds that extending the on-pack narrative into a fully animated world felt like a natural next step. "Two years after reimagining the Christmas packaging, bringing the on-pack stories into this second collaboration with Olaf has been extraordinary – uniting craft and creativity."

The campaign is now live across Fortnum & Mason's festive touchpoints and will run throughout the Christmas period.