Peugeot PudseyPeugeot

French firm Peugeot has axed its iconic logo for something far more charitable.

In place of the Peugeot lion on marketing material is now BBC Children's in Need's mascot.

Thought to be a first in UK advertising history, Pudsey imitates the lion's familiar pose for this year's charity appeal.

Peugeot has placed full-page adverts in The Sun, Metro and The Times to raise awareness of the firm's support for BBC Children in Need. This is being supported with a Pudsey takeover of the car manufacturer's social media properties.

The aim is to drive interest in the charity and raise money through "Pudsey's Dream Wheels" - an online game at www.pudseysdreamwheels.co.uk where people can first design their dream car using a simple tool, and then, if they choose, make a small donation and enter their design into a competition to win a Peugeot 208.

Tim Zimmerman, managing director at Peugeot UK, said: "Peugeot is extremely proud to partner with a charity as iconic and important as BBC Children In Need. In this, our first year of partnership, we wanted to drive home the message that everyone at Peugeot is supporting the charity and the excellent work they do for disadvantaged children.

"The Pudsey takeover of the Lion logo perfectly illustrates the emotional association of these two family-friendly brands."