Seasonal Sentimental Storylines: The Key to John Lewis’ Marketing Success
If you find yourself anxiously awaiting the release of the new John Lewis advert to kick-start the festive feelings in your household, you’re not alone. All across the country, slightly childlike anticipation turns from whispers of when is the new John Lewis advert being released? To have you seen the new John Lewis Ad? What did you think of it?
Thinking about it, it is pretty incredible how John Lewis have got us so riled up about the release of an annual advert. They have managed to capture the giddy excitement of being gifted an unknown present for Christmas (something which many of us can associate to our childhoods) with the release of their advert; but the real question is how.
Since the first advert in 2007, John Lewis have made a tradition of their adverts from their atypical approach to marketing, focusing on traditional Christmas storytelling rather than their products. In doing this, their adverts become a cinematic event in themselves, in which people anticipate cute characters and heartwarming festive storylines. Typically spending £1 million each year to produce these adverts, expectations are high.
We’ve been given many of these throughout the years, from Buster the Boxer (2016) and Monty the Penguin (2014), to Moz the Monster (2017) which, according to Campaign Live, increased advert word-of-mouth around John Lewis by 71% after its release. The relatability and emotional impact of these tales intensifies the emotional connection between the customer and the brand, reflecting values such as generosity, family and inclusiveness at a time where kindness is at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
As Kelly Clarkson astutely puts it in the Christmas hit “Underneath the Tree”; then, one day, everything changed. That day happened to be the 14th November 2024, with the release of their most recent advert known as “The Gifting Hour”.
The Gifting Hour | John Lewis & Partners | Christmas Ad 2024
Straying from tradition with new advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, Customer Director for John Lewis Charlotte Lock acknowledged that the “stores are the beating heart of our brand and our customers love the ritual of Christmas shopping there - so we wanted to give the store a starring role in our ad for the first time.”. In the Narnia-esque short story of a woman trying to find the perfect gift for her sister, she travels through a store clothes rail to relive happy and bittersweet memories shared with her sister and family, before finding the perfect gift in-store. Void of cute fictional characters or otherworldly settings, Chief Creative Officer Franki Goodwin at Saatchi & Saatchi describes their advert as “a glorious visual and emotional feast which is both grown-up and childlike at the same time”.
The avoidance of a commercial, obvious style of marketing, the reason behind their previous successes, has somewhat been abandoned this year, and this has not been received without its criticism.
In one satirical, hyperbolic and frankly outspoken review, The Guardian proposes we should “write this one off as a misstep”, asking for something “more traditional next year, please”. Exclaiming that John Lewis “have committed the unforgivable sin of literally setting its Christmas advert inside an actual branch of John Lewis”, this critique speaks to our expectations and therefore the brand awareness John Lewis have built up over the years. The fact that people are surprised it is set in one of its own stores just goes to show the success of its previous adverts; The Guardian humourously recognised that “Christmas isn’t Christmas until you’ve been bummed out by a shop”.
Despite being set in-store, whimsical, sentimental and emotional elements capture the feel of a typical John Lewis advert, albeit being arguably more ‘on the nose’ when it comes to brand promotion. Encompassing typically festive feelings of togetherness and joy, this advert along with previous installments are able to visually capture what Christmas is all about.
This stray from tradition has not affected its success, however, as it seems to have emerged as the most emotionally engaging Xmas ad from the retailer for six years. According to DAIVID, it topped their Christmas ad chart after 55.5% of viewers felt an intense positive response to the ad.
A strong emotional and relatable storyline tackling sentimental themes such as sisterhood, childhood memory and bereavement allows the advert to do what John Lewis does best. For us at May & Avaline, and for many others all over the country, the advert really hits home. It triggers a resurgence in appreciation; for the relationships we have, for the coming together of family at Christmas and for the creation and collection of memories.
Just as marketing is constantly changing, John Lewis have introduced a new way of engaging with the advert this year. It was no mistake that instead of a cover of a song for the soundtrack, as per tradition, the original Richard Ashcroft’s Sonnet was chosen and ‘leans into the nostalgia’ for ‘anyone who grew up in the 90s’. Goodwin “invite(s) the nation to cover the track for Christmas Day, in a wonderful twist on the magic John Lewis formula” through a competition held on TikTok. Alongside a growing presence on TikTok and in-store events, this advert certainly challenges previous successes.
The strapline ‘The secret to finding the perfect gift? Knowing where to look’ reworks the story behind the advert into one associated with the products available at John Lewis, suggesting that it is the place to look for the perfect gift this Christmas. See for yourself and keep an eye out for our Christmas Gift Guide, taking you through May & Avaline’s favourites from the John Lewis Christmas Collection 2024.
What did you think of the advert? We can’t help but wonder what’s to come from John Lewis in the future.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
From the May & Avaline Team