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By Amy Houston, Senior Reporter

November 4, 2022 | 3 min read

Story of the supermarket’s stuffed star’s journey from obscurity to A-list is one for the ages.

‘Lidl Bear’ begins in a typical family home where, after a dad shrinks his Lidl jumper in the wash, his young daughter has the ingenious idea of putting the tiny sweater on her toy bear – and so our stuffed star is born.

Then, in the supermarket aisles, people begin to take photos of the toy and post them on social media. As fame ensues, the bear goes on to enjoy all the perks of going viral. The jet-setter becomes the face of Lidl, pens a memoir and even records a hit Christmas jingle.

All the while, his previous owner just longs to have him back at home with her.

Claire Farrant, marketing director at Lidl, said: “What stands Lidl Bear apart from other Christmas characters is its hilarious, deadpan expression. By displaying no emotion it manages to create humor and deliver our message about what’s actually important this Christmas.

“You also won’t be seeing Lidl Bear for sale in any of our stores – because, in the face of unrealistic Christmas expectations and pressure, we know what really matters is being with the people we care about.”

In lieu of selling the toy, the supermarket is using the bear as inspiration for a charitable drive to help ensure that all children experience the joy of getting a toy this Christmas.

The campaign was produced and executed by Accenture Song. Media planning and buying has been managed by OMD, PR by The Roman and social media by We Are Social.

Nik Studzinski, chief creative officer at Accenture Song, added: “At its heart, this year’s Lidl Christmas campaign is a cautionary tale told through the eyes of a little girl’s teddy bear, urging us to hold on tight to the things that really matter – being with the people you love and sharing some delicious, great value food. In short, a Christmas you can really believe in.”

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