EXCLUSIVE: Burberry Taps Jennifer Saunders for a Christmas Campaign Full of Checks — and Canapés

SWEET, AND FABULOUS: Burberry is serving up canapés, cakes with powdered sugar — and even a pun — for Christmas with a new holiday campaign featuring Jennifer Saunders and the brand’s Equestrian Knight decked in fully polished armor.

The new campaign, “’Twas the Knight Before…” breaks on Tuesday and also features Naomi Campbell, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Ncuti Gatwa and Son Heung-min, who appear as guests at a London townhouse party organized by Saunders’ character.

It’s cozy and jolly and there’s even a hint of Edina “Eddie” Monsoon, Saunders’ character from the hit British TV series “Absolutely Fabulous.”

“Good luck with your goose! Don’t overcook it!” she tells the cab driver who drops her off at the party. She spends the rest of the time dashing around the house getting everything ready, and making sure the kids and/or dogs don’t eat the tinsel or the canapés. Every time the doorbell rings, she cries, “Darling!” just like in “Absolutely Fabulous.”

“It’s a party invitation for family and friends — with some great ideas for gifts,” said Daniel Lee, who was the creative director on the shoot and film, which was directed by John Madden, the Academy Award-winning director of “Shakespeare in Love,” “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” and “Operation Mincemeat.”

Madden also directed Burberry’s latest outerwear campaign, “It’s Always Burberry Weather: Postcards From London,” which features Olivia Colman, who plays a variety of roles in the four film shorts.

Burberry is warming up to the holidays in other ways, too, with store windows that take inspiration from the house’s Equestrian Knight reimagined through vignettes that blend heritage with the spirit of the season.

As reported, Lee has also designed the Claridge’s Christmas tree, which will be unveiled later this month.

To mark the hotel collaboration, Burberry has created a limited-edition bauble featuring the Claridge’s Bell Boy Teddy Bear in Burberry Check. The partnership also includes a dedicated retail pop-up on the ground floor, with a Burberry Scarf Bar and a curated selection of festive gifting products.

In addition, Claridge’s doormen will wear Burberry scarves.

The brand is taking its festive spirit to Bloomingdale’s 59th Street in New York as well. A pop-up inspired by a cosy cottage showcases curated gifts and exclusive pieces alongside teddy bears dressed in Burberry check. The store’s facade will be wrapped in an oversized Burberry check scarf for the annual lighting moment.