We are officially on the run-up to Christmas now. We feel like we have a bit of whiplash at The Yorkshireman, as it seems like autumn only began a couple of weeks ago with an unseasonably warm start. Christmas markets are starting up, and a whole host of places across Yorkshire are transforming for festive fun.
Christmas markets and events will be in full swing soon. And, with them comes festive adverts, which have become a part of the excitement over the years thanks to the likes of John Lewis. Featuring in this year’s M&S Christmas campaign this year is Yorkshire’s own, James Norton, Gazette Herald reports.
He plays an undercover Santa in the title ‘The Home of Christmas’ alongside Lucy Punch as Mrs Claus and singer Katherine Jenkins, who also provides the soundtrack with a reimagined Heaven Is a Place on Earth.
The story follows Santa as he shaves off his beard and swaps the red suit for a Christmas jumper, experiencing a new kind of Christmas. We follow him through key moments, including dressing up, enjoying seasonal food, and picking gifts, as well as transforming the home for Christmas.
Sharry Cramond, marketing director at M&S, said: “Customers don’t think about Christmas as one meal, one gift or one outfit. They think about all the moments that make the season special. As the only retailer with a truly cross-category offer spanning Food, Fashion, Beauty, Gifting and Home, M&S plays a unique role in helping customers create Christmas from start to finish.
“Bringing those categories together allows us to tell one connected Christmas story and celebrate all the ways our customers make the season their own. That’s why we’re proud that customers call M&S The Home of Christmas.”
James said: “It’s not every day you get asked to play Santa, let alone a Santa who immediately shaves off his beard! M&S has been such a familiar part of Christmas for as long as I can remember, so getting to be part of its Christmas campaign feels really special.
“I loved that this story takes such an iconic character and lets us see him differently. He gets to experience Christmas like the rest of us, discovering that the real magic is in the food, traditions and moments we share with the people we love. It’s warm, funny and full of Christmas spirit, and I’m very happy to have been briefly trusted with the red suit.”
Read More: The Idyllic Yorkshire Village That’ll Transport You To A Victorian Christmas
Feature Image Credit: Thurstan Redding @ Parent Global
