FOR Cardiff takes viewers on a magical journey of the city centre to kick off Christmas in style.
A shadowy figure leads a family on a journey through a mysterious door around the city centre in FOR Cardiff’s Christmas television advert, premiering on Welsh TV screens today.
The advert features a family enjoying the magic of Cardiff at Christmas when something steals the children’s attention in one of Cardiff’s historic shopping arcades.
The youngsters follow claw-like footprints in the snow, stopping at popular festive attractions such as the Gingerbread Mun House and Winter Wonderland.
It reaches a crescendo when the family arrive at Cardiff Castle, where they discover that the beast they have been tracking, is in fact a dragon.
The daughter is played by Amelia Harris from Whitchurch in Cardiff, whose acting debut will be shown to the nation on the day of her 11th birthday, making the celebrations extra special.
Talking about her first taste of acting for the big screen, Amelia said: “I was really excited when I found out I got the part and couldn’t wait to start filming. I learned a lot about what happens behind the scenes and realised it’s something I’d like to do again. I loved it.”
But it’s been a difficult job for Amelia to keep it a secret, as filming started in December 2018 to make the most of Cardiff’s Christmas decorations: “I’ve had to make sure I didn’t tell anyone about acting in the advert, it’s hard work keeping that quiet for nearly a year!”
Amelia’s mother, Dania Edwards, said: “We’re so proud of Amelia and her involvement. Auditioning for parts can be daunting but she handled it so well. She’s done brilliantly to get through two rounds of auditions, and we can’t quite believe she’ll be on the telly.
“I’m sure the whole family will be very emotional when we see it for the first time!”
The advert will be aired on TV screens for the first time during today’s episode of This Morning.
Producing Christmas adverts are now a crucial part of preparations for the busiest shopping period of the year for not only high-street retailers, but destinations too.
Last year, more than 4.7 million people made their way to Cardiff in November and December, an increase of 9.3% on 2017, while overall figures for the UK decreased 2.6%.
FOR Cardiff is hoping the advert will capture people’s imagination and draw even more visitors to the city centre over this year’s festive period.
Adrian Field, FOR Cardiff Executive Director said: “We wanted our Christmas advert to bring the magic of Christmas to life with a Welsh twist and showcase the very best Cardiff has to offer visitors.
“The city caters for residents and visitors from experiential activities such as the Gingerbread Mun House to shopping in our historic arcades and big household names.
“We’ve invested heavily in our Christmas campaign including the TV advert and supporting advertising across Cardiff, Swansea and Newport and we hope it will inspire people to choose Cardiff as their destination for a festive day out.”