When Paddington arrived in London he was alone and afraid. But the Browns took care of him and made him realise people loved him for who he was; even though he wasn’t like anyone else he still felt at home.
The Childline service, provided by the NSPCC, helps thousands of children every day. Children who feel different; who feel that they don’t fit in. Each with their own unique set of worries.
That’s why Paddington has brought one of his favourite charities – Childline – together with Mark & Spencer, to bring a little light to children who desperately need it. Because Paddington loves spreading goodwill as much as he loves spreading marmalade.
So he’s teamed up with M&S this Christmas to create a magical advert, all about the importance of spreading goodwill across the country. There’s also a very special children’s book of the story of the ad, with all profits going to Childline.
Parents and grandparents across the UK who buy the book for a child they love will do so in the knowledge that M&S will make a generous donation to help Childline answer another child this Christmas – it could be the moment that helps them turn their life around.
A young person contacts Childline every 25 seconds. They talk about things like bullying, self-harm and depression. Problems they often feel they can’t speak to anyone else about. This chat with a counsellor could be the first step that helps get their life back on track.
Childline is there for children 24/7, 365 days a year – even Christmas Day!
M&S hopes to sell 200,000 of these special storybooks, donating £2 from the sale of every £3 book to this vital service. This donation from M&S will fund Childline for the 12 days of Christmas, helping to answer around 100,000 calls from children desperately in need.
The book which is written by Timothy Knapman and illustrated by Becky Cameron (original story written by Grey London – who were responsible for the ad – with Simon Farnaby).
Dame Esther Rantzen, founder of the NSPCC’s Childline said, “Christmas is an exciting time of year, but for some vulnerable children and young people it can be very difficult which is why Childline is there for them 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. This, of course, requires a great deal of funding, which is why we’re delighted to be partnering with M&S and Paddington to support the Childline service and raise awareness of the work we do. At only £3, with all profits going to the NSPCC, the book is excellent value for money and the perfect Christmas gift.”
Vicki Maguire, Chief Creative Officer at Grey London said, “Two British icons coming together in a story of heart-felt redemption, at a magical time of year, is the brief that dreams are made of. Customer expectations for Christmas campaigns are always high, and for M&S this has never been truer than now following the positive response to ‘Spend it Well’. We cannot wait to see and hear the reaction as we spread the love, goodwill and marmalade this Christmas.”
Links
http://www.marksandspencer.com/
http://www.marksandspencer.com/paddington-and-the-christmas-visitor-story-book/
