It’s November, which means only one thing. Christmas, obviously.
This past week saw a slew of Christmas ads released and I suddenly felt begrudgingly old as I shook my head and complained “it seems to come earlier every year”. But here we are, and I can’t really pretend to be a grinch: as soon as I got the notification on the John Lewis app that I got early access to their ad (I can hear your eyes rolling dear reader, but I won’t apologise) I ran to my flat mate’s room to watch in bed.
Because it’s Christmas, and if I’ve learnt anything from the ads, it’s that it should be enjoyed with those we love. So we watched, we laughed, we cried and then I got angry at the capitalist consumerist driven tag line. It was a beautiful moment ruined by a dark twist in the tale of John Lewis Ads.
Historically, these ads have been about emotion and love. Tag lines have included “let your traditions grow” (2023) and “show them how much you care” (2019). The message from this one? Find the perfect gift at John Lewis. Away with the heart, and in with the sales pitch.
Bring back the gooey-warm feeling where it was about something bigger than the store. That naïve feeling that you don’t want to sell us yourself or your brand, but just Christmas joy. I want back cuddly penguins and the sense of a higher power than consumerism.
Photo by Daniel Adesina on Unsplash
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Short Rant: The John Lewis Ad
It’s November, which means only one thing. Christmas, obviously.
This past week saw a slew of Christmas ads released and I suddenly felt begrudgingly old as I shook my head and complained “it seems to come earlier every year”. But here we are, and I can’t really pretend to be a grinch: as soon as I got the notification on the John Lewis app that I got early access to their ad (I can hear your eyes rolling dear reader, but I won’t apologise) I ran to my flat mate’s room to watch in bed.
Because it’s Christmas, and if I’ve learnt anything from the ads, it’s that it should be enjoyed with those we love. So we watched, we laughed, we cried and then I got angry at the capitalist consumerist driven tag line. It was a beautiful moment ruined by a dark twist in the tale of John Lewis Ads.
Historically, these ads have been about emotion and love. Tag lines have included “let your traditions grow” (2023) and “show them how much you care” (2019). The message from this one? Find the perfect gift at John Lewis. Away with the heart, and in with the sales pitch.
Bring back the gooey-warm feeling where it was about something bigger than the store. That naïve feeling that you don’t want to sell us yourself or your brand, but just Christmas joy. I want back cuddly penguins and the sense of a higher power than consumerism.
Photo by Daniel Adesina on Unsplash
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