‘Wallace & Gromit’ Return in Barbour’s New Christmas Short, and Wallace’s Latest Invention Sends Their Winter Stroll Off the Rails
Christmas and ‘Wallace & Gromit’ have been a natural pairing for decades, thanks to the cheese-loving inventor, his loyal dog and the gentle stop-motion chaos that follows them everywhere. Nick Park’s duo most recently returned in the feature ‘Vengeance Most Fowl’, which reached UK audiences on BBC One on Christmas Day in 2024 before arriving on Netflix. That film earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Motion Picture, proving the pair still have plenty of life left in them.
Away from features, Aardman has built a festive tradition with heritage brand Barbour. The fashion label spent 2 years working with Shaun the Sheep on its holiday ads, then brought in Wallace and Gromit last year for a tale about the Gift-o-matic. Fans have been waiting to see what the partnership would deliver next.
Barbour has now launched its 2026 Christmas film, titled ‘Warm Wishes’, which reunites the brand with Aardman for the second year running with Wallace and Gromit. The short is directed by Steve Harding-Hill and made in Aardman’s signature stop-motion style, running for 1 minute and 28 seconds. It follows the duo on a traditional British Christmas walk through the snowy countryside.
The film opens with Gromit preparing for Christmas at home among twinkling lights, presents and tartan decorations. Wallace then presents him with a Barbour wax dog coat so they can head out for walkies.
New ‘WALLACE & GROMIT’ Christmas short in collaboration with Barbour. 🎥 https://t.co/Js5xLVzFRw
— Film Crave (@_filmcrave) November 5, 2026
Naturally, Wallace has an invention for the occasion. The Walk-o-matic combines a plump living room armchair with oversized wheels made from Barbour welly boots, designed to let him enjoy a countryside stroll without taking a single step.
Things do not go entirely to plan, which will surprise nobody who knows the franchise. Wallace ends up left out in the cold, and Gromit sees the perfect chance to give him a gift of his own: a Barbour jumper wrapped in tartan.
The final twist comes courtesy of Shaun the Sheep and his flock, who show up with the Walk-o-matic’s welly boots on their heads. It is a playful nod to Barbour’s earlier work with Aardman, and Shaun’s cameo gives the short a clear Aardman signature.
The film closes with the message ‘Warm Wishes from Barbour’. Aardman describes the short as a festive romp in which Wallace and Gromit enjoy a Christmas Day stroll, with Gromit left to come to the rescue with a little help from Barbour.
Park shared his excitement in a statement from Aardman, saying “we hope it warms the cockles and brings a giant Wallace smile.” He added a pun of his own, expressing confidence that audiences will love it.
Harding-Hill, Aardman’s Creative Director of Short Form and Commercials, called the collaboration an absolute joy and said it is a pleasure to work with such an iconic British brand. It marks Barbour’s second Christmas collaboration featuring Wallace and Gromit and its fourth partnership with Aardman overall.
Alongside the film, Barbour has produced a limited-edition capsule collection of accessories, including knitted scarves, hats, caps, tote bags, key fobs and a dog coat. It will be available from December on Barbour.com and at selected retail stores.
The brand is also bringing back its Re-loved Wallace & Gromit-inspired wax jackets, with all proceeds going to Oxfam. This year it is introducing Re-loved scarves and dog coats for the first time.
Barbour’s approach has paid off before. Ad analytics firm System1 named last year’s film its Ad of the Week and gave it an exceptional score of 5.8 stars on its Test Your Ad platform, placing it in the top bracket of Christmas ads that year.
The appeal is easy to understand. Both Aardman and Barbour trade on British heritage, nostalgia and craftsmanship, and the handmade look of stop-motion animation stands out in a season that often feels overly polished.
If this year’s short follows the same pattern, it should become another festive favorite, and a reminder that Wallace and Gromit remain among Britain’s best-loved double acts.
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