

ON THE SET OF OUR NEW TV AD
Ever wondered what goes into making a TV advert? Now’s your chance to find out…
You might have seen our star-studded TV advert on your screens this Christmas (if you haven’t, where have you been?!) and if we do say so ourselves, it’s a masterpiece! In true Butlin’s fashion, we had lots of fun shooting on set with our incredible team, so we thought we’d share some of the highlights from behind the scenes. Want to see what happened backstage? Check out our exclusive footage, featuring Stephen Mulhern, Fleur East, Justin Fletcher and lots of other famous faces. Plus, we caught up with the Film and Creative Directors to get the inside scoop on how it all came together. Read their interviews below…
Lights, camera, action!
MEET THE DIRECTORS

Oscar Cariss
Film Director
WHAT’S YOUR ROLE?
My role on the shoot was director, but I was also involved in writing the idea and putting that together with the team at Leo Burnett and Butlin’s.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT?
I'm fascinated by Butlin’s as a British institution. It’s part of our contemporary culture and has been around for a long time, so I was keen to get involved. I have a lot of experience in the world of entertainment – I used to work with ITV on Britain’s Got Talent – and I felt that I was the right fit for the project.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO PRODUCE FROM BEGINNING TO END?
There were about four months-worth of ideas and scripts that were being worked on, but once the concept was signed off, I would say two months of work prior to the shoot. There were lots of things to organise. We had to establish what the talent needed to do and how we could all work together to create something entertaining that would stand out.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE AUDIENCE FEELS WHEN WATCHING THE AD?
I hope the audience feels like this is a new direction for Butlin’s. The brand has a really high calibre of entertainment and I think the audience will recognise that, and I want them to feel excited. I think people have a certain idea of what to expect, so they might be surprised by the advert and think, actually, that looks pretty good!
WHAT’S BEEN THE MOST EXCITING PART OF THE PROJECT?
As a writer and director, it’s been great seeing it come to life from just an idea I had whilst at home, and how everything has come together. The performances blew me away – the acts at Butlin’s are all amazing!

Mark Elwood
Creative Director
WHAT’S YOUR ROLE?
I’m Executive Creative Director at Leo Burnett. I’m involved in the day to day running of the creative department, working with different teams to answer client briefs and create concepts.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT?
All projects pose an exciting opportunity, but this one in particular gave us the chance to take Butlin’s in a new direction, strategically and creatively.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO PRODUCE FROM BEGINNING TO END?
It’s taken around seven months to complete. Once we received the brief, we moved into strategic development followed by creative development. Then came production, where we saw the idea come to life.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE AUDIENCE FEELS WHEN WATCHING THE AD?
We want the audience to be wowed by the variety of entertainment that Butlin’s has to offer, from shows for tots to the whole family. This is a thrilling new direction for Butlin’s, and we hope it excites people.
WHAT’S BEEN THE MOST EXCITING PART OF THE PROJECT?
We had a great team working on the project, both at Leo Burnett and Butlin’s, as well as fantastic production and post-production teams. It’s always exciting working alongside people who are passionate about creating great work.