British Food Brand Turns Its Bowler-Hatted Mascot Into ... a Homewrecker?

British food brand Homepride has long featured a character named Fred, a black-and-white line-drawn bowler-hatted man, in its ads and on its packaging. But the brand has clearly decided to spice things up for this somewhat traditional logo; in this latest ad, via McCann London, Fred is brought to life for the first time in ten years, but with an unusual twist.

The spot kicks off in fairly typical food-ad style, with mom and kids delighted that (an enormous, CG version of) Fred appears, helping to liven up her home-cooked dinner with some Homepride sauce. However, as it continues, we see the dad's increasing suspicions about Fred's role in his family; he's prominently figured in the kids' drawings and, most damningly, it seems he's helping mom out with her bathtime routine as well as her cooking.

Fred also has his own Twitter account where he's already flirting with today's generation of internet-savvy moms. Meanwhile, we can't wait to see the sequel. (And if you recognize the music, it's from "Curb Your Enthusiasm.")