ABOUT

See Britain Through Paddington's Eyes

Objective:
The Paddington Film Tourism Campaign aimed to:

Highlight film locations in Britain.
Capture valuable customer data for ongoing engagement.
Drive measurable increases in visitor numbers and spend in Britain.
This campaign leveraged the global appeal of Paddington Bear, blending nostalgia, storytelling, and tourism to position Britain as a must-visit destination.

Key Achievements:
Unprecedented Data Capture:
219,581 competition entries, exceeding expectations.
81,283 opt-ins, highlighting strong engagement with the target audience.
Achieved a 41% click-through rate (CTR) on email direct marketing (EDM), making this VisitBritain’s most successful digital competition (main KPI: data capture).

Global Reach & Partnerships:
The Paddington is GREAT campaign was activated in 41 countries, supported by the GREAT campaign (in partnership with FCO, UKTI, and the British Council).

Paddington served as a global ambassador for Soft Power, Prosperity, Tourism, and Education, strengthening Britain’s image worldwide.

PR & Media Success:
193 articles were published globally, reaching an estimated 407 million people (OTS).
Generated £4.1 million in Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE).
Became VisitBritain’s most successful film tourism campaign on social media, reaching over 71 million people on Twitter and Facebook.

Social Media Highlights:
The Paddington “selfie” delivered over 2.7 million impressions and 138,000 engagements in just the first weekend of the campaign.
“Through its targeting and execution in partnership with Paddington’s release, it drove one of the best engagement rates” – Twitter.

Industry Recognition:
David Heyman (Producer of Paddington):
"I am so happy that the association with Paddington has been successful for everyone! I am proud of it and do believe it represents Michael Bond’s creation and the UK in a good light!"

Impact:
The Paddington Film Tourism Campaign seamlessly combined the universal love for Paddington Bear with Britain’s rich cultural and iconic locations, turning a cherished character into a powerful ambassador for tourism. The campaign not only delivered measurable results in visitor engagement and data capture but also strengthened Britain’s global brand identity through storytelling and emotional connection.