The festive season has officially begun after John Lewis dropped its Christmas ad overnight, and it has gone down well with punters.
This year’s spot features a grandmother Gloria (Kristin Scott Thomas) welcoming her family into her large and posh London home on Christmas Eve before going shopping with her toy dog, Pickles (voiced by Paul Whitehouse), a vintage Little Snoopy Pull-Along Toy that you can buy from John Lewis!
Gloria is initially ignored by her grandchildren, Freddie and Maggie, and wants to give them money, but is convinced by pickles to lift her gift giving game.
A quick trip to John Lewis with Pickles is the antidote.
Expecting cash, the children are surprised to find the Christmas envelopes empty. Instead, their grandmother holds up a single key.
Unlocking her home office door, they discover the ‘Gran Cave’: a magical wonderland filled with sparkling lights, disco balls and music inspired by her TukTuk adventure (yes, London has touristy TukTuk’s that Londeners would never, ever ride!).
Delighted, Freddie and Maggie throw their arms around their grandmother, as the thoughtful surprise bridges the generational gap through a moment of pure joy.
“I simply couldn’t resist the opportunity to lead a John Lewis Christmas advert – it’s such a cherished part of the festive season. Plus, Gloria’s journey captured my heart straight away. She represents so many parents and grandparents who want nothing more than to create lasting memories with the younger generation,” Scott Thomas said.
John Lewis marketing and loyalty director Rosie Hanley said the department store wanted the 20th Christmas ad to feel extra special.
“Bringing in the sparkle of Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Sam Fender has helped bring this story to life beautifully. It’s a storyline that so many of our customers will relate to; I’ve definitely resorted to putting cash in an envelope for fear of getting it wrong,” she said.
“But our message this year is simple: ‘Don’t give up on giving.’ We hope this restores the nation’s gift-giving confidence and encourages customers to rediscover the joy of choosing something truly thoughtful for the people they love.”
Saatchi & Saatchi chief creative officer Franki Goodwin said creating the ad has been “a joyful collaboration with a series of icons; a Dame, a record-breaking artist, and an enduring wooden toy”.
“I would also add our director Lucy Forbes to that list, who was for us, the only person to bring this powerful intergenerational story to life. Finding the perfect balance between relatable family dynamics and proper magic gave us the opportunity to create this glorious celebration of giving. This one really does have something for everyone,” Goodwin added.
The ad has received a mixed response from some sections of the public.
During a cost of living crisis, some felt the grandchildren appeared “spoilt” and showcasing a wealthy grandmother is “out of touch” with the reality many Brits face this festive season.
However, the overwhelming reception has been positive according to System1 testing with thousands of Brits.
Their analysis found that Gloria & Pickles is the strongest John Lewis Christmas ad since ‘Excitable Edgar’ in 2019, scoring a huge 5.6 Star Rating. Their analysis predicts huge long-term effectiveness.
It also found that only 15 per cent remembered “rude kids”, and only one viewer called them “badly behaved brats”.
An analysis by Kantar found that the ad reminded consumers of the “joy” of the festive season, but suggested that it lacked the “emotive punch” of previous campaigns.
B&T’s Arvind Hickman’s take
I’ve been writing about John Lewis ads for more than a decade and this one felt rather middling.
The casting and craft are winners. Kristin Scott Thomas is flawless and gives the spot some real sparkle and star power.
I loved Sam Fender’s soundtrack, and much like Woolworths Christmas ad, I reckon the audio could play a starring role in keeping the creative front of mind of Christmas shoppers.
According to System1 testing, it’s clearly gone down a treat with consumers (which is what really matters).
Nonetheless, I felt the creative idea felt a bit safe. ‘Grandkids visit grandmother who goes to department store to buy them gifts, rather than giving them money’, is not setting the world alight or making me want to go to John Lewis (a department store that I love).
I love the many memorable characters that John Lewis ads have delivered in the past, and Pickles the toy dog doesn’t quite do it for me. Previous characters, such as Monty the Penguin, Buster the Boxer, Edgar, the fire breathing dragon, or even Moz the monster, really stick in the mind.
Personally, the ad failed to pull on the heart strings as much as previous John Lewis Christmas ads, such as ‘The Long Wait’, ‘Monty The Penguin’, ‘The Man on the Moon’ or even ‘The Bear and the Hare’.
Nonetheless, it is a solid piece of work that almost every retailer not called John Lewis would be delighted with.
Here are some stunning examples of John Lewis ads over the years.
