Manchester City Council unveils in-house designed Christmas branding

Christopher Jennings creative designer, said: "Initially I was asked to design this year's Christmas Market Mugs back in January 2012. Having designed them for past two Christmas Markets, the client and I wanted to create something that made people 'come together' and celebrate the success of the Markets. After some careful thought, the kissing snow-people were born. A unique character design that comes to life when two mugs are 'clinked' together.

"After looking at the way we branded the city at Christmas in previous years, we got together with our clients and partners and decided that it made perfect sense to have everything come under one umbrella brand. This suite includes The Lights Switch-On, The Ice Rink and The Christmas Markets - should look part of the bigger suite.

“We then started to look at how we could extend the qualities of the Snow-people into other characters. Romance and the coming together of two people was the inherit quality that helped us create; 'The Polar Bear & Cub', 'The Fairy & The Nutcracker', 'The Falling Elves' and 'The Reindeers'. Each couple symbolises Manchester as a place where people can come together and so, they depict different events around the city. For example, The Snow-people represent the Markets, The Reindeers - Lights Switch-On, The Elves and Santa - Shopping and the Arndale Grotto and The Polar & Cub - The Spinningfields Ice Rink. Not forgetting the Fairy and Nutcracker, who symbolise the more romantic side of Christmas in Manchester.”