'Oh no it isn't!' I hear you cry. Well, tiresome panto cliches aside, the fact remains that millions of consumers are drawn to their local theatre each winter to enjoy the seasonal frolics.
RBS-owned insurance brand Churchill is so convinced by the potential of panto that it is sending its bulldog mascot to become a fixture on the circuit this Christmas.
The brand has teamed up with UK's biggest pantomime producer, Qdos Entertainment, to create one-off scripts of Christmas classics featuring the nodding British bulldog.
The brand mascot, who will only say his trademark phrases, 'Oh, yes!' and 'Oh, no!', will appear in more than 20 productions across the country, starring celebrities such as Torchwood lead John Barrowman, ex-EastEnders actor Shane Richie and comedian Joe Pasquale.
'It came to us through a PR opportunity, and we thought it was the ideal fit for Churchill,' says Churchill head of brand Peter Deane. 'Both are very British traditions. Rather than the hard sell, it is going to be a case of trying to get people to our website.'
The activity will be backed by a press and radio campaign, while the insurance brand will also promote the dog's pantomime appearances via its consumer website.
Can an appearance alongside luminaries such as Craig Revel Horwood, Linda Lusardi and Christopher Biggins really improve brand appeal?
Churchill is not the first to attempt to tread the boards. In November 2007, Beattie McGuinness Bungay created a campaign for McCain Oven Chips that ended up at the Old Vic theatre.
Hosted by Kevin Spacey, a team of performers including Ralf Little, Tom Hollander, Fiona Shaw and Rob Brydon were challenged to write and perform a play within 24 hours. Naturally, the play had to centre on a bag of McCain Oven Chips.
FMCG brand Pot Noodle was also tempted by the romance of the theatre, launching the catchily-titled Pot Noodle: The Musical. Created by ad agency Mother, the show debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2008.
Set in a fantasy Pot Noodle factory, the hero, Steve, tried to win the girl and overthrow the evil owner of the factory, all the while drawing on the themes of recent Pot Noodle campaigns.
The theatre offers a veritable Aladdin's cave of opportunities for brands. It is just a question of who is willing to break a leg and give it a go.
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