Luxury British retailer Fortnum & Mason has launched its highly anticipated 2024 Christmas, ‘A Christmas Extraordinary’, in collaboration with creative agency Otherway, renowned illustrator Olaf Hajek and animation studio Studio AKA.
The campaign, which has been a year in the making, showcases a rich, storytelling-themed design concept titled ‘Tales of Christmas’. This concept is featured across more than 100 products, ranging from handcrafted Christmas puddings to festive teas.
At the heart of the campaign are intricate illustrations from Berlin-based artist Olaf Hajek. Known for his vibrant, nature-infused work, Hajek has hand-painted a series of detailed scenes, which form the foundation of Otherway’s creative vision.
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The visual style extends into an eye-catching out-of-home campaign running across central London, featuring crosstrack 48s for commuters, as well as print and digital advertisements with hand-painted characters and festive scenes.
Otherway has partnered with award-winning animation team Studio AKA and director Marcus Armitage to create a series of animated films, including five 15-second films featuring hero products and an additional 30-second film that brings all the action together in a whimsical stop-frame style.
“Christmas has always been at the heart of Fortnum & Mason,” said Crispin Butler, Fortnum & Mason’s director of marketing and Communications, “and this year we’re excited to showcase Olaf’s intricate and vibrant work across product, digital, and print – celebrating our extraordinary products and provenance.”
Jono Holt, founder & CEO at Otherway, added “As every other brand at Christmas tries to pull the heartstrings, we believe that the best way to stand out and get noticed is by placing the product at the heart of the story. At Fortnum’s, it’s the exceptional products that really bring the festive joy.”
