A Somerset cider maker has unveiled its first ever Christmas TV advert, bringing a miniature version of its famous farm to screens across the country this festive season.
Thatchers Cider, which has been making cider at Myrtle Farm in Sandford for over 120 years, has teamed up with award-winning Bristol animation studio Aardman for the festive film.
The advert, called Saving Tasting Time, sees a snow-covered recreation of the Somerset farm provide the backdrop for an unusual Christmas mission involving cider maker Martin Thatcher, Myrtle the dog and a hot air balloon.
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The new animated film is the first time Thatchers has entered the Christmas advertising season, with the advert launching on Monday, November 2.
The story begins when heavy snowfall threatens to put a stop to the company's traditional Friday 12.30pm cider tasting.
Martin Thatcher then finds an unusual solution with a little inspiration from Myrtle, taking to the skies in a hot air balloon to bring the cider tasting team together.
It was created at Aardman's studios in Bristol, just over 20 miles from Thatchers' Somerset home, bringing together two businesses with strong roots in the South West.
The production combines traditional stop-motion animation and puppetry with CGI, while the team say plenty of work also went into creating a miniature winter version of Myrtle Farm. Snow-covered sets were made by hand, along with bespoke costumes for the characters.
Among the painstaking details was miniature Martin Thatcher's coat, which took an Aardman costume designer an entire week to make. An internal armature was built into the tiny garment so it could move during filming.
Martin Thatcher, fourth-generation cider maker at Thatchers, said: "At Thatchers, we work to make sure every pint is perfect, and that doesn't stop for Christmas.
"We loved the idea of bringing that commitment to quality to life in a fun, festive way, and Aardman have done a brilliant job of capturing it, with a tasting time Christmas mission.
"Working with the talented team at Aardman to bring our first Christmas advert to life has been incredibly exciting."
Mr Thatcher added: "We're both proud of our South West roots and share a real passion for craftsmanship, and getting every last detail just right.
"We hope the advert brings a smile to people's faces and becomes a little part of their Christmas cheer!"
Will Studd, director at Aardman, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, said the team had enjoyed turning the real-life Thatchers team and family into animated characters once more.
He said: "Working with Thatchers again was a real privilege and as always a lot of fun.
"The team and I relished the opportunity to bring the real-life members of the Thatchers team and family to life again through their animated puppet counterparts, and adding a festive touch to Myrtle Farm."
Mr Studd added: "The team put in so much love and care into the project, we're all immensely proud of how the film came out and can't wait to see it on TV."
The advert will appear from Monday, November 2 across ITV, Sky, Netflix and Channel 4, as well as being available to watch online.
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