Thatchers Cider has unveiled its first-ever Christmas TV advert, teaming up with Bristol-based animation studio Aardman to bring a festive story to life at its Somerset home, Myrtle Farm.

Titled Saving Tasting Time, the advert celebrates the fourth-generation, family-owned cider maker’s commitment to quality, combining festive humour with Aardman’s signature stop-motion animation.

The story follows Martin Thatcher as heavy snowfall threatens to disrupt the farm’s traditional Friday 12.30pm cider tasting session.

With a little inspiration from Myrtle the dog, Thatcher devises an unusual solution, taking to the skies in a hot air balloon to reunite the tasting team and ensure that no cider leaves the farm unless it meets the company’s standards.

Created at Aardman’s Bristol studios, just over 20 miles from Myrtle Farm, the advert combines traditional stop-motion animation, puppetry and CGI.

WATCH THE ADVERT HERE

Hundreds of hours of craftsmanship went into producing the film, including handcrafted costumes, snow-covered sets and a miniature recreation of the Somerset farm.

Among the intricate details, a miniature coat for Martin Thatcher took an Aardman costume designer an entire week to create, while Myrtle the dog received a makeover to make her movements and expressions more lifelike on screen.

Martin Thatcher, fourth-generation cider maker at Thatchers Cider, 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. We’re both proud of our South West roots and share a real passion for craftsmanship, and getting every last detail just right.”

Will Studd, director at Aardman, added: “Working with Thatchers again was a real privilege and as always a lot of fun.

“It’s a relationship we value a lot, and it’s always such a treat to work so closely with another well established and well-regarded West Country business.”

The campaign marks a festive milestone for Thatchers as it brings its cider-making heritage and quality-focused message to television audiences this Christmas.

The advert will air today across ITV, Sky, Netflix and Channel 4, as well as being available to watch online.

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