BOSTON (WHDH) - A local firefighter took an unusual approach to spreading holiday cheer in Boston.

Brendan Sullivan, a firefighter with a passion for making short comedy videos, dressed up as Buddy the Elf from the Will Ferrell movie “Elf” and challenged other people to a Christmas pillow fight at Faneuil Hall.

The unusual request left shoppers all smiles.

Sullivan said the video he produced and posted online was just aimed at spreading some holiday cheer.

“I said why don’t we do pillow fights with strangers featuring Buddy the Elf,” Sullivan told 7News. “And that’s what we rolled with.”

As the video shows, Sullivan was open to dueling with everyone — from the young to the young at heart.

He says his favorite battle was with an older woman.

“I had her hit me with the pillow and I fell to the ground,” he recalled with a smile. “When she helped me up I came in with the sneak attack.”

When thinking of an idea for his video, Sullivan said he got some inspiration from one of his favorite movies.

“I love Will Ferrell anything,” Sullivan said. “For Will Ferrell to come out with Buddy the Elf, it’s just like an iconic character now for Christmas.”

Sullivan said the public’s reception to Buddy was almost entirely positive. Though, he did turn some heads when he stopped to have dinner.

“We needed to stop and get something to eat, so we walked into a restaurant and people, they couldn’t not turn their head and stare because Buddy the Elf was eating a sandwich at a bar,” he said.

Sullivan says he hopes to be out in Boston once a week until Christmas, spreading some laughs as Buddy.

“We just wanted to spread holiday cheer, make people laugh, smile,” he said. “That’s what we’re out there for.”

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