Festive adverts have become as much a part of the countdown to Christmas as mince pies and cries of “it gets earlier every year!” And while department stores battle it out for the “biggest tearjerker” award, Montblanc takes a more glamorous approach, enlisting brand ambassador Hugh Jackman in his role as P.T. Barnum in the upcoming musical The Greatest Showman.
The film, released on December 20th, sees Jackman star alongside Michelle Williams, Zac Efron and Zendaya, as the entrepreneurial showman who founded the Barnum & Bailey circus in the late 19th century. It follows his journey from newspaper owner in Connecticut to king of the big top, famed as much for his elaborate hoaxes as his extravagant productions featuring acrobats, animals and “freaks”.
Throughout the film Jackman can be seen using his Montblanc Minerva pocket watch, a vintage piece on loan from the house’s archive in Switzerland, as well as a specially commissioned Meisterstück fountain pen, with a ringmaster engraved on its nib.
“This film is particularly important to me, a project that took seven years to bring to life,” says Jackman in a statement issued by Montblanc. “I am very excited that Montblanc is a featured part of this adventure.”
The Christmas campaign provides a teaser of the spectacle and showmanship we can expect to see, with a twinkly-eyed Jackman presiding over proceedings. “Let them be inspired by all the wonders of this miraculous place,” he declares as the curtains open to reveal Montblanc treats including a watch, a pen and a briefcase. “Make their eyes shine and their faces light up - let them enjoy the magic.”