Thomson combines Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” (voiced beautifully by William “Star Trek” Shatner) with the story of a much-loved teddy bear who is taken on a family vacation to Jamaica in its latest ad.
It’s a follow-up to Thomson’s “Simon the Ogre” spot, which featured a Shrek-like Dad gradually transforming into a regular father by way of his vacation.
Exclusive: Check out our new TV ad before it hits your screens Saturday night during @TheXFactor https://t.co/F6X1O2e0cu #MadeMeSmile
— Thomson (@ThomsonHolidays) September 18, 2014
In this ad, it’s the one-eyed bear who is removed from his day-to-day life of being bumped on the stairs and forced to participate in doll’s tea parties, and “discovers his smile” #MadeMeSmile (the tagline of the campaign) as he gets away from it all (and has a holiday romance with a toy pony). It’s subtle, but the bear’s sewed-on smile — which also resembles the logo of Thomson’s German parent company, TUI — gradually widens as the story progresses.