Helena Bonham Carter fronts Liberty’s biggest advent calendar campaign to date
Liberty has appointed Helena Bonham Carter as its fictional Head of the Extraordinary, expanding its 2026 beauty advent calendar launch into the retailer’s biggest campaign for the annual product to date.
The actress stars in a short film released across Liberty’s online and social channels today, 2 September, which follows her behind the scenes at the 150-year-old department store. In her new campaign role, Bonham Carter searches for products considered worthy of a place in this year’s calendar.
The creative uses the calendar to promote Liberty’s buying expertise and relationships with founders, alongside the product reveal. The activity extends across social media, gifting and an in-person event, positioning beauty advent as a wider expression of the retailer’s approach to discovery and curation.
Beauty founders appear as active participants in Liberty’s Beauty Advent creative for the first time. Bobbi Brown and Lisa Eldridge feature alongside Bonham Carter, while Violette Serrat also forms part of the campaign, bringing the people behind selected brands into its storytelling.
Liberty said the approach would give customers greater access to the personalities and ethos behind its beauty edit. The retailer is also drawing on its Tudor flagship and Beauty Buying team to show why products have earned a place in the calendar.
Laura Simpson, CMO at Liberty and Managing Director of its LBTY beauty proposition, said: “We wanted to bring those personalities forward and give our community greater access to the world behind one of our biggest annual launches.”
Ahead of the release, Liberty also sent limited-edition digital cameras to members of its community following invitations from Bonham Carter’s campaign character. Recipients were encouraged to document the activity from their own perspective, creating material for the wider social rollout.
The campaign arrives as brands and retailers pull out all the stops to capture early festive demand, from higher-value products to full-size and exclusive items. The 2026 assortment includes Harrods, Space NK, John Lewis and Fortnum & Mason, alongside calendars from leading beauty brands and specialist retailers.
Liberty’s 12th edition costs £285 and contains 29 products worth more than £1,300, including 21 full-size items. It also includes a Liberty-print drawstring bag, while brands in the selection include Matière Première, Jones Road, Ilia and Violette_FR.
The product has sold out every year since its 2014 debut. Liberty first released details of the 2026 edition in August, leading with its highest product value to date.
Read TheIndustry.beauty's round-up of the beauty advent calendars of 2026.
