B&TB&TB&T
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Search
Trending topics:
  • Cairns Crocodiles
  • Nine
  • Seven
  • Cannes Lions
  • NRL
  • State of Origin
  • WPP
  • AFL
  • B&T Women in Media
  • Pinterest
  • Thinkerbell
  • imaa
  • Anthony Albanese
  • Meta
  • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Foxtel
  • AI
  • TV Ratings
  • Radio Ratings
  • Sports Marketing

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
Reading: “Ugly, Sexist, Misogynistic Rubbish!” John Lewis’s New Ad Features A Boy In A Dress & People Are Livid!
Share
B&TB&T
Subscribe
Search
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
B&T > Campaigns > “Ugly, Sexist, Misogynistic Rubbish!” John Lewis’s New Ad Features A Boy In A Dress & People Are Livid!
Campaigns

“Ugly, Sexist, Misogynistic Rubbish!” John Lewis’s New Ad Features A Boy In A Dress & People Are Livid!

Staff Writers
Published on: 15th October 2021 at 9:54 AM
Staff Writers
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

If there’s one ad the entire globe holds its collective breath for it has to be British retailer John Lewis’ annual – and typically epic – Christmas work.

Not that its marketing is confined to the festive season, John Lewis dropping a new campaign in the UK this week plugging its latest home insurance product.

The ad, by London creative agency Adam & Eve DDB, is called “Let life happen” and features a young boy in a dress and makeup dancing to Steve Nicks’ classic Edge Of Seventeen while systematically trashing the family home. Check it out below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5od8Wuv_AAY

Yet, despite the fun, not everyone is happy with John Lewis’ latest effort and arguably not for the reason you’d most expect.

If you thought a lad in a frock was the reason for the hate, you’d be wrong. Instead, the ad’s detractors are calling it sexist, as the young man is having all the fun while the women featured – the boy’s mother and sister – are shown in joyless, stereotypical women’s roles.

Viewers quickly took to Twitter to slam the “sexist” ad, calling it “narcissistic, destructive, aggressive and misogynistic”.

Another added: “I saw sexualisation of a male child imitating OTT (over the top) feminised posturing, who was also acting like a bully and vandal…”

Writing for the UK media site Campaign, Ogilvy managing director Vic Day (whose son is openly gay) said the spot had made him “wince”.

“It wasn’t the word inclusion that came to mind, it was the word stereotype – despite what I imagine were best intentions,” Day wrote. “Here’s the problem. We want to see better representation on our screen. I want my son to feel that he has his place in the world like anyone else. But how do you represent something that is not necessarily visible like sexuality or, in many cases, gender identity? In this case the solution was to make it explicit by leaning on recognisable stereotypes.”

The ad’s attracting so much hate (see the pick of it below), that John Lewis has been forced to issue a statement defending the work. Read it below:

Here’s how social media haters reacted.

Although the spot also had its supporters. One person tweeting:  “Imagine being a grown adult and being genuinely angry, annoyed or upset that a little lad is running around the house in a princess dress on a john lewis advert hahahaha.”

While another added: “People already having a rant about that boy in the John Lewis advert dressing up???”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts
Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

No related posts.

TAGGED: Ad campaigns, john lewis
Share
Staff Writers
By Staff Writers
Follow:
Staff Writers represent B&T's team of award-winning reporters. Here, you'll find articles crafted with industry experience spanning over 50 years. Our team of specialists brings together a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to delivering insightful, topical, and breaking news. With a deep understanding of advertising and media, our Staff Writers are dedicated to providing industry-leading analysis and reporting, both shaping the conversation and setting the benchmark for excellence.

Latest News

Dame Lisa Carrington.
Zespri Teams Up With World Champion Kayaker Dame Lisa Carrington In Global Partnership
10/07/2025
Agency Scorecard: EssenceMediacom
10/07/2025
Agency Scorecard: It’s Friday
10/07/2025
BMW’s Alex McLean: Let Go Of The Steering Wheel
10/07/2025
//

B&T is Australia’s leading news publication magazine for the advertising, marketing, media and PR industries.

 

B&T is owned by parent company The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.

About B&T

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise

Top Categories

  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • TV Ratings

Sign Up for Our Newsletter



B&TB&T
Follow US
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?