On many occasions, the fear of not finding the perfect gift can overshadow the pleasure of offering something special and lovingly thought out to loved ones. But John Lewis’ Christmas advert is an emotional call to consumers to recapture the essence of festive gifting and discover its catalog to make every gift feel personal and meaningful.
The ad, worked together with the creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi, provides a story about how to rediscover the joy of giving gifts, under the motto “Don’t give up on giving.” It stars award-winning actress Kristin Scott Thomas, who plays Gloria, a grandmother who tries to entertain her grandchildren, Freddie and Maggie, by offering them “Pickles, the dog,” one of her old toys that, however, does not convince the kids.
Consequently, he decides to play it safe and give them cash, but Pickles has other plans. The wooden dog comes to life and takes Gloria on a fun trip from store to store in search of the perfect gift. Just when they are about to give up, a striking tuk-tuk appears and takes them at full speed through the streets of London to the John Lewis department store. There he finds everything he needs to create “Grandma’s Cave”, a magical and wonderful world, full of bright lights, disco balls and music.
“Gloria and Pickles”, which marks John Lewis’ 20th Christmas advert, features a version of The Rolling Stones classic, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, performed by singer-songwriter Sam Fender alongside the John Spence Community High School children’s choir and the Easington Colliery Band.
As part of the campaign, John Lewis will market physical copies of the song in vinyl and CD formats through its online store. The profits from the sale of each album will go to Action for Children, one of the main charities in the United Kingdom and a partner of John Lewis in the “Building Happier Futures” program, which helps vulnerable minors build a more promising future.
Compared to last year’s emotionality, the company has opted for a more optimistic and vital tone for its campaign this year. “The John Lewis Christmas advert is a much-loved tradition, but for this 20th edition we wanted it to be something really special. It is a plot with which many of our clients will feel identified.“said Rosie Hanley, Director of Marketing and Loyalty at John Lewis, in a statement. “Our message this year is simple: ‘Don’t give up giving gifts’. We hope this gives people confidence when it comes to gift-giving and encourages customers to rediscover the joy of choosing something truly special and thoughtful for their loved ones.“.
The advertisement premiered on November 3 on the brand’s social channels, and will be broadcast on prime-time television during the commercial breaks of the legendary series “Coronation Street”, broadcast on ITV; and the program *The Great British Bake Off*, on Channel 4.
The advertisement is accompanied by a website that lists all the items that appear in the video and that are part of the John Lewis catalogue.
