Have you seen the new John Lewis advert yet? It’s an utterly moving piece that has reduced me to tears every time I’ve watched it. I have no doubt that John Lewis’ agency, Adam&Eve will be up for an award for it – and if they’re not, then they should be! And whilst it’s very easy to sneer at ads that are made to further the ad agency’s ego, this time I really think they’ve pulled it off.
From innocent child to graduate, mum to be and grandmother, the continuity of the ‘girl in red’ draws you in. On the surface, this is an advert that reminds you of just how short life is. To savour every moment, and the importance of family. To Autumn-led people (confused? I’m talking colour psychology personalities here) it’s going to be exceptionally appealing: family, community, love and sociability. And I challenge all but the most hardened cynic not to be moved by this ad. The beautiful song and the way the film is shot just adds to the emotion of this advert.
Already the ad is a talking point, and it’s been out for what? All of two/ three days? And to be honest, I am drawn in by the endline “Never knowingly undersold: on quality, service and price. Our lifelong commitment to you.”. Why? Because it fits in with my values, and having grown up on John Lewis, it fits with my experience of the company too.
Someone very wise once said to me, a brand is a promise, an experience, and a memory. Well this is one strong promise!
Now whilst I’m not advocating that small business owners sign up top ad agency Adam&Eve and blow £6m on a branding campaign, I think there are some lessons that we can scale back to our own businesses. Firstly, they’re not trying to promise anything they can’t deliver. Never knowingly undersold has been a John Lewis strapline for as long as I can remember, but this is the first time they’ve linked it so emotionally in an ad campaign. Most of us perceive JL as the bastion of the middle classes and so quality – in both the way the film is shot and the images they’re portraying is logical.
What I think we can all learn from is the way that JL have brought emotion to the brand. They’re well known for having a band of incredibly loyal followers (anyone remember the Alice-band wearing kitchen-shoppers from the TV show?) – but in this advert those raving fans are actually acknowledged. Small businesses are often afraid of making their corporate identities too emotional. They worry about getting it wrong. And yet time and again, when we work with a business to bring “heart” to their identity, their only regret is that they didn’t do it sooner.
I also love the fact that they’re not jumping on the “cheap” bandwagon. In fact, they’re saying forget all the pile-it-high-sell-it-cheap stuff you’re overwhelmed with: buy things that will endure, things that will enhance your life.
This advert is reinforcing their brand strategy and position in the marketplace. And whilst you might think “Of course! They’re not working with a top ad agency for nothing”, the small business lesson is to stay true to your brand strategy once you know it works. Not to cling to something that’s not working, but at the same time, not to skip around and confuse your customers memories at every opportunity. And of course, you can’t get all of this across in one 90s advert. But you can if you have brand equity, and a legacy, and the people watching have memories of shopping with you.
Finally I love the fact that everything represented in the advert is so archetypally John Lewis. From the spotty rug in the second scene to the jug in the garden party scene. Again, it sounds so obvious, but it’s so easy to stuff this kind of thing up. I see it happening all the time when businesses lurch from one “look and feel” to another as they swap their design agency more often than they change their underwear. I think it’s about not being afraid to stick with what works. That doesn’t mean being stuck in a rut or refusing to move forwards. But it does mean being consistent in how you present yourself to the world; in what you stand for and how you want your customers to see you.
Hurray for John Lewis and Adam and Eve. I LOVE this advert and I hope it translates into sales for them. Me? I’m off to get a price for that spotty rug…
Great article Fiona. Interestingly John Lewis lives its brand values on all sides of the customer and supplier. They are an excellent company to supply, they pay their bills on time, support up and coming talent and are thoroughly professional. They really do live and breath their brand at all levels throughout the company.
To harness an emotional customer connection with a brand is challenging, but can be very powerful (as companies like John Lewis and Apple have proved through the recession with strong performances despite tough conditions). It’s interesting how John Lewis and Waitrose (part of JLP) have used a soft nostalgic colour palette in their ads and stuck with that. You can almost tell it’s a John Lewis ad when you see it, before the name comes up. – Jeremy
So true. Sounds like you’re one of their suppliers? Must be a good gig to have. Congrats!
“Because it fits in with my values” is why it has made such an impact on you. No mention of products or “features” just a moving story.
Story telling is always powerful – I can’t be sure if it referred to your Father in Law but I can remember the photo story you did which pointed out that here was an excellent sign-writing craftsman. Do you think that images are now more important in branding than words?
That’s such a good point Mike. That’s exactly why it resonates and why it has such a profound effect. I think that images, words, texture, smells – they all have an impact on the brand but I think it’s about what you do as much as what you say, what do you think?
[...] the past couple of years John Lewis adverts have been, frankly, phenomenal. I raved about their She’s Always a Woman one here. And you can see the gorgeous Your Song and Sweet Child of Mine ones here. All fab, all [...]