How John Lewis became synonymous with Christmas

  • Posted by info 10 Nov

How John Lewis became synonymous with Christmas

The John Lewis adverts have made the retailer’s annual Christmas campaigns a major event

John Lewis has just released the 2016 addition to its long and celebrated Christmas advert tapestry! Trust me it’s a heart-warmer and it will certainly get you jumping for joy.

When I say Christmas, what comes first into your mind? Could it be the image of family and friends gathered around a roaring fire, with cups of eggnog clutched tightly in their hands? Watching your children’s faces light up like New York in the night, when they receive that one present they always wanted? Or could it possibly be that steamy kiss under the mistletoe during the Christmas party, with that gorgeous colleague you fancied all year?

Like a Hollywood blockbuster at the height of summer, John Lewis’s yearly Christmas advert has become an event in and itself; when the snow begins to fall and the jingle bells begin to ring, instantly we rush to our sofas, gather our loved ones in our arms and get ready to have our heart strings pulled and our tears jerked.

The joy of Christmas has grown to encompass many things and ever since John Lewis debuted its first ever Christmas advert way back in 2007, no longer can someone mention the word Christmas, and not instantly remind everyone within earshot of all the heart-warming tales that have splendidly graced our screens over the years. From being serenaded by your heart’s greatest desire in 2008 to being reminded of the magic of Christmas through the adorable awe of a bear and a hare in 2013. Every John Lewis advert is wonderfully different, hence why each of us has our own personal favourite – that one advert that lifts our spirits higher than any other. Mine is undoubtedly 2015’s Man on the Moon; aesthetically it’s the most accomplished, however it’s the underlying idea that love travels further and wider than anything else in the universe that really endears me – no distance is too far when you have the power of love.

Despite on the surface being so different, essentially what makes the John Lewis adverts collectively so special is the unifying idea that beyond the expensive gifts and fancy decorations, what really makes Christmas so special is the opportunity it gives us to celebrate the beauty of life and the people we love. Which of course is a very brave message to be given out from what is essentially a big commercial company. But that’s exactly what compels us all to love the adverts so dearly. John Lewis could easily given us another generic ‘buy, buy, buy’ advert; instead they decided to inspire us through the simple magic of story telling.

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2015

The John Lewis 2015 Christmas advert ‘Man on the Moon.’

Such has been the overwhelming success of the John Lewis advert tradition, other brands have began to realise that in a product saturated market, giving audiences a simple warm and fluffy feeling through powerful storytelling, can really help a business embed itself in peoples hearts. In the past we’ve seen the likes of Sainsbury’s harnessing this potential with its own WW1 inspired Christmas advert (2014). While most recently Very surprisingly stepped into the arena with its own Frozen-esque advert (2016). But of course these adverts aren’t just there purely to entertain, they still need to sell products. And sell is something they do very well; according to the Financial Times, while John Lewis’s 2013 advert cost £6.9 million to make, its popularity ultimately resulted in a 4.8% rise in year-on-year sales for the company.

Here at LoveLove we pride ourselves on being able to create emotionally arresting videos through the power of simple and honest storytelling. And in no place is it more important to create emotional connections with audiences than in advertising, because while you can regret a purchase made out of greed, you can never regret one made out of love. And you wonder why we’re called LoveLoveFilms?

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*Please note we didn’t produce the John Lewis advert (we just think its smashing!)

advertising, Broadcast Adverts, Christmas, christmas Tv adverts, Dorset Production Company, John Lewis, John Lewis Christmas, LoveLove Films, TV Advertising, TV Adverts

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