Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, who also features in the upcoming film Paddington, appeared in a press call to launch the three-foot, six-inch sculptures near Tower Bridge.
Lauched by tourism agency Visit London, the trail has been designed to raise awareness of children’s charity the NSPCC. Celebrities such as Michael Sheen, Jonathan Ross and Darcey Bussell have designed their own Paddingtons, which will be auctioned off by Christie’s to raise money for the cause on 10 December.
David Beckham’s bear has been named ‘Golden Paws’, Benedict Cumberbatch’s as ‘Sherlock Bear’ and Boris Johnson’s as ‘The Bear of London’.
Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, said: "It's so exciting to see the capital being taken over by this famous duffle coat wearing bear, and I hope that Londoners and visitors to the capital alike will enjoy exploring The Paddington Trail over the coming weeks. In the Paddington stories, Aunt Lucy implored Londoners to 'please look after this bear' and we'll be giving people the chance to do just that when the statues are auctioned off later in the year in support of our ChildLine service."
The trail has been co-ordinated and produced by creative agency Premier, while design studio 3DEye helped create the statues.
Comment below to let us know what you think.
For more in-depth and print-only features, showcases and interviews with world-leading brands, don't miss the next issue of Event magazine .