John Lewis easily wins this year’s notorious Xmas advert war with a tear-jerking tale of a little boy who can’t wait for Christmas Day. The ad reportedly cost a cool £6million and came via challenger agency Adam & Eve. Against a selection of tacky, celebrity obsessed, run of the mill offerings, the ad stands out for a number of reasons, not at least the catchy musical score, mix of colours and an adorable youngster in the lead role.
The real secret to the success lies in the fact that we can all relate to it. It’s set in a street and house just like any other and I’m pretty sure everyone can recall the anticipation of the countdown to Xmas. The twist ending reveals that the youngster wasn’t excited about his presents; he was excited about giving a supersize pressie to his Mum & Dad. Up pops the slogan, “For gifts you can’t wait to give.”
With economic gloom, house prices slumping and just about everyone looking and feeling glum, John Lewis have, rather cleverly, reminded us that giving can give us all a lot of pleasure during the Xmas break.
