Landsec brings back Joanna Lumley-voiced CGI turkey for Christmas campaign

Landsec has launched its Christmas campaign, bringing back the animated turkey from previous years.

This year the CGI bird goes Christmas shopping at Landsec's retail destinations, including Liverpool ONE and Trinity Leeds.

The work comes from a group of Northern agencies, led by Newcastle's The Traveller and the Bear.

MediaCity-based Velvet Film and Kalua handled production alongside Flipbook Studio from Manchester. Manchester agency Republic of Media is responsible for strategy and media planning and buying.

“Turkey has become a much-loved part of Christmas at Landsec, and the strength of our audience response gives us a fantastic platform to build on. Christmas is one of the most important moments in the retail calendar, and our ambition is to make sure Landsec destinations are firmly on people’s shopping lists,” said Hywel Butcher, senior marketing manager at Landsec.

“Building on that success, this year we’re bringing Turkey further into our destinations, taking her on a festive shopping adventure that puts our brands, experiences and offers firmly in the spotlight.”

Eight destinations

The campaign runs across eight Landsec sites: Bluewater in Kent, Braintree Village in Essex, Clarks Village in Somerset, Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, Liverpool ONE, St David's in Cardiff, Trinity Leeds and Westgate Oxford.

It is the first time the CGI turkey has appeared inside the shopping centres. Dame Joanna Lumley again provides the voice as the character mixes with shoppers in search of the perfect presents.

“This year we wanted to explore the humour of a turkey testing products in a shopping centre environment,” said Antonio Bachini, co-founder and managing director at The Traveller and the Bear.

“With the help of Director Matt Huntley, we created moments in various retailers where our incredibly life-like CGI turkey interacts with real humans resulting in funny, endearing moments.”

Laura Smith, managing director and producer at Velvet Film, said: “Translating that level of creativity into a production that captured the chaotic spirit of Christmas was no small feat, but through the dedication and collaboration of the team, this project perfectly encapsulates the festive shopping experience.”

Feathers next to live action

Andrew Lord, co-founder and managing director at Flipbook Studio, said: “This is our third Christmas with the turkeys and each year we’ve thoroughly enjoyed adding more detail and complexity to how they look and move. As the turkey is the star of each ad, the performance had to be spot on, striking a balance between an expressive character and real turkey behaviour without becoming too cartoonish.”

He added: “We developed the rig and feather simulation even further, giving our animators the freedom to land the comedy through subtle shifts in posture, head movement and timing. It’s also the first time the turkey has shared scenes with actors on set, so every feather, wobbling wattle, footstep and reaction had to hold up right next to live action.”