Burberry has unveiled a new signature campaign, It’s Always Burberry Weather, marking a return to its storied roots and celebrating over 165 years of heritage. Anchored by Academy Award-winner Olivia Colman, the cinematic campaign—inspired by the unpredictability and romance of British weather—features a series of witty, evocative vignettes that channel both nostalgia and contemporary London life.
Olivia Colman: The Face of a Modern Classic
Burberry’s chief creative officer, Daniel Lee, chose Olivia Colman to capture the essence of everyday London life through four short films directed by John Madden of Shakespeare in Love fame.
“Each film celebrates just a few of the many characters you’ll encounter in London,” Lee explains, with Colman embodying roles from a cricket enthusiast to a fish-and-chip shop worker.
Memories, Makeovers, and Modernity
The campaign leans on classic outerwear—trench, Harrington, quilt, parka, puffer, aviator, duffle—each reworked with a freshness that nods to both tradition and innovation, skill and a spirit of adventure. Crafted in Yorkshire from water-resistant cotton gabardine, the Castleford trench coat returns, joined by the Fitzrovia—a new A-line silhouette—and the men’s Chestwood, a relaxed-fit style referencing 1980s Burberry archives.
“Burberry is about protection, functionality and the outdoors,” Daniel Lee, the brand’s chief creative officer, said in a statement. “We are always inspired by our archive and the innovation and creativity of the brand. The campaign promotes the house’s silhouettes: protective and enduring.”
Cinematic London—Locals, Icons, and Playful Nostalgia
The campaign weaves Colman’s portraits with international models Amelia Gray, Liu Wen, Lucky Blue Smith, Mona Tougaard, and Tyson Beckford, following the adventures of first-time tourists amid the sights and eccentricities of London. The shorts are a celebration of the characters you’ll find in London, playing on familiar British iconography with a dry wit and sense of humor.
Nods to Royalty and Rural Romance
Colman’s own portrait, clad in a quilted green coat with a corduroy collar, set against the British countryside, channels off-duty Queen Elizabeth, reinforcing the label’s royal endorsement and its rootedness in British culture.
Beyond the Campaign: Pop-Ups and Heritage Activations
Accompanying the global launch, Burberry has rolled out immersive pop-ups and heritage-inspired windows worldwide, including new train-station-themed installations across China, Japan, and Korea—reflecting founder Thomas Burberry’s passion for travel and adventure. The campaign’s slogan, lifted from Burberry’s archives, unites weather, whimsy, and lineage.
Burberry’s campaign is a robust celebration of Britain’s enduring relationship with outerwear and the transformative power of heritage pieces in daily life. Directed by John Madden and starring Academy Award-winner Olivia Colman, the campaign unfolds in four warmly witty vignettes, each spotlighting Colman in a different London guise—from a cricket fan to a chip shop worker—joined by an international cast including Amelia Gray, Liu Wen, Lucky Blue Smith, Mona Tougaard, and Tyson Beckford.
The campaign’s narrative follows the charming misadventures of tourists navigating London’s eccentricities, while Colman’s performances capture the rhythms, humor, and humanity of everyday city life. Each short is framed by iconic Burberry silhouettes: the classic Castleford trench crafted in Yorkshire gabardine, the new A-line Fitzrovia, and the men’s 1980s-inspired Chestwood trench, alongside bold updates like the Berryhill car coat and Floriston quilted jacket. The color palette, spanning calm and ice to truffle brown and twilight blue, mirrors both tradition and reinvention.
Complementing the films, railway-inspired pop-ups and the restored 1930s Haymarket clock connect Burberry’s adventurous past to its cosmopolitan present. This campaign, under Daniel Lee’s creative vision, underscores Burberry’s blend of innovation, craft, and eccentric British charm, anchoring the house’s future in its iconic heritage
A New Era, True to the Burberry DNA
This campaign is the first under the leadership of CEO Joshua Schulman, signaling a subtle reset after several turbulent quarters. The renewed focus on heritage, British quirk, and timeless outerwear is a good indication of the brand’s future strategy, blending humor, nostalgia, and innovation for global appeal.
