Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are Adorable Mittens in Christmas Ad from M&S Food

M&S Food announces its much loved Christmas advertising campaign is back and bigger than ever!

Following the winning formula of last year’s festive Fairy exploration, named by Kantar as one of the most powerful and differentiated of all retailers, the Fairy, voiced by British icon Dawn French, returns to TV screens across the country today and is joined by two new sidekicks.

The ad series, from Outsider and helped M&S Food enjoy its biggest Christmas ever, has been taken to the next level for 2023 with the introduction of two new characters.  

Hollywood actors and Wrexham football club co-chairmen, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds join Dawn French, voicing ‘the Mittens’, aptly named Left and Right, in a six-part blockbuster ad series.

The ads chart Fairy and the mittens (Left & Right) on a festive exploration of award-winning M&S Food.

Fairy, determined to cheer up the mittens after they were separated from their child owner Lilly and lost in the snow springs into action and introduces them to the magic of an M&S Christmas. Zooming and dancing around the living room, dining room and kitchen, they discover the very best of M&S Food this festive season, ending with a mouth-watering M&S Christmas feast complete with all the trimmings. The mittens ultimately have their best and most delicious Christmas ever.

The dynamics between the glamorous and fearless Fairy and the downcast and lonely mittens will pull on the heart strings of the nation who will immediately fall in love with the new characters, thanks to the charm of their Hollywood a-list voices.

Voice of Fairy, Dawn French, says, “I’m so excited to be returning to my role as the Fairy this Christmas, and what a treat to bring to life some new friends, the lovable lost mittens 'Left' and 'Right'! It was a delight introducing them to the joys of a British Christmas and a traditional fabulous festive feast."

The ad will launch across social media at 8am on Thursday 2nd November with its TV premiere at 10:30am on ITV's This Morning with the entire Christmas campaign set to reach 98% of UK adults an average of 21 times each between now and New Years Eve.

The excitement doesn’t stop there..!  It just gets BIGGER and BETTER

Alongside the blockbuster ad, M&S Food also announces that it will kick off (pun intended) its first ever local football club partnership, joining forces with Wrexham AFC. Already partner to the national teams of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, this is the first club football partnership in the retailers’ history. 

The multi-year deal as official partners of Wrexham AFC will see national and community led activations that support children and families in the local area.

Coinciding with the opening of the new M&S Wrexham Food store on 1st December 2023, the partnership forms part of M&S Food’s ongoing commitment to Wrexham. Opening its first store there in 1936, the new store will employ over 120 people from the local area. M&S Food also continues to work with neighbouring Village Bakery who have supplied stores with baked goods for over 15 years, including the retailer’s exclusive range of Collection sourdough.  

Bringing the magic of the ad launch to Wrexham on the 2nd November, M&S Wrexham store colleagues and AFC Wrexham employees will be invited to a very special ad premiere event on the club’s stadium scoreboard.

Ryan Reynolds, Wrexham AFC co-chairman, says, "Our partnership with M&S Food is important to Rob and I, due to its established history with Wrexham and its commitment to supporting the local community. The connection we have to the club and its supporters is something we’re deeply proud of. It’s essential we partner with a brand who understands the broader goals for the community as a whole and is committed to making positive changes.”

Sharry Cramond, M&S Food director of marketing and hospitality says, “This year’s Christmas advertising campaign is possibly my favourite to date.  Not only does it build on the unrivalled success of last year, it also introduces a sprinkle of Hollywood glamour with the addition of both Rob and Ryan"

She adds, "The warming tale is sure to tug on the heartstrings of the nation, whilst putting M&S Food at the heart – something we know our customers love. I mean, who doesn’t get the Christmas feels when they see M&S Food in all its glory on the big screen!"