While many brands try to outshine the holiday noise with spectacle, L.L.Bean is taking a quieter, more heartfelt route this season.
In its new campaign, “Invited to the Holidays Since 1912,” created by Day One Agency, the beloved outdoor retailer revisits over a century of cozy, real-life holiday moments — all stitched together by one enduring icon: the flannel.
Built from found footage, home videos, and user-generated social clips, the campaign captures how L.L.Bean has been part of generations’ celebrations, from family kitchens and snowy backyards to movie night cameos — including a nod to Clark Griswold’s iconic flannel from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Watch below:
“Holiday advertising often tries to outdo itself with bigger productions and louder moments. We went the other way: less flash, more human,” said Jamie Falkowski, Chief Creative Officer at Day One Agency. “This campaign has been in the making for decades, through family photos, films, and traditions. It’s a celebration of those real moments that connect us, generation after generation.”
The creative team sifted through decades of archival footage and social UGC to uncover how L.L.Bean’s flannel has quietly become a staple of American holidays, worn by parents and kids, skiers and shoppers, and everyone in between. The result is a campaign that feels as lived-in and comforting as the fabric it honors.
“L.L.Bean has always been part of life’s everyday moments, but the holidays hold a special kind of magic,” said Nick Wilkoff, CMO of L.L.Bean. “Invited to the Holidays Since 1912 celebrates that timeless connection and the role flannel plays in it. It’s more than a fabric for us; it’s a thread that runs through generations of gatherings, traditions, and memories.”
Running nationally across TV, streaming, social, digital, radio, and print, the campaign also extends to an immersive NYC pop-up activation through November 30, a cozy, flannel-filled experience designed to bring that warmth and nostalgia to life in person.
The work continues L.L.Bean and Day One Agency’s yearlong creative partnership, which began in January, and underscores a simple truth: sometimes the most powerful holiday stories aren’t staged, they’re shared.
CREDITS:
BRAND: L.L.Bean
- Nick Wilkoff – Chief Marketing Officer
- Julie Mattei-Benn – Director of Creative, Brand & CX
- Caty Werner – Director, Go-to-Market Strategy
- Lincoln Benedict – Art Director
- Eric Coles – Senior Managing Producer
- Alice Lindsey – Creative Project Manager
AGENCY: Day One Agency
- Jamie Falkowski – Chief Creative Officer
- Jordan Stone – Group SVP, Story
- Alex Slavin – SVP, Brand
- Amanda Ford – SVP, Creative Director
- Mike Boyce – VP, Story
- Dre Cenon – Creative Director
- Cameron Clow – VP, Strategy & Insights
- Caylen Clark – Director, Strategy & Insights
- Matthew Ballinger – Associate Director, Integrated Production
- Jenny Ko – Senior Designer
- Michael Corey – Senior Designer
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Day One Studios
- Christina Xing – Director
- Jiffy Iuen – Group SVP, Production
- Sahil Mirchandani – Associate Director, Production
- Sam Victoria – Stills & Social Capture
- Diane Bruzzese – Editor
- Jake Schwartz – Editor
- Gabriel Isacson – Editor
- Robbie Stern – Post Production Supervisor
ADDITIONAL PARTNERS
- STALKR – Footage Sourced & Licensed
- Catch + Release – Footage Sourced & Licensed
- Heavy Duty – Music Supervision & Mixing
- Rare Medium – Color
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