What real people told YouGov about the John Lewis Christmas ad
Why don’t we take into account the consumer when debating whether an ad is ‘good’ or ‘bad’? In response, YouGov’s Jake Gammon will bring The People’s Verdict to the table for The Drum once a month, first focusing on arguably one of the UK’s biggest ads of the year, John Lewis’s ‘The Gifting Hour.’
John Lewis is now a part of the Christmas ritual in the UK. It produces a new one each year carries a significant weight of expectations. How did this year’s effort perform among real consumers? YouGov analyzed data with its AI Qualitative Explorer tool to understand how 2,128 people across Britain felt about it.
The positives
The emphasis on family, particularly the bond between sisters, was a highlight for many. This focus on genuine relationships and shared memories added a layer of authenticity and warmth to the ad, making it appealing to a broad audience. Its storytelling, which included elements of nostalgia and emotional depth, also resonated and effectively depicted the passage of time and evolving relationships, making it relatable and touching.
Many viewers appreciated the music choice, noting that it complemented the emotional tone and helped maintain engagement throughout the narrative. While it was different from the previous John Lewis works, many found it was creative, unique and engaging and its multi-layered approach was appreciated for making viewers think and engage more deeply.
But, without further ado, in the words of the viewers themselves:
“I like how creative it was, going back and forth from different life events. Showing what it’s really like with family, the good and that bad showing how family means so much. As someone that has a brother it is relatable.”
“I identified with this advert because I have a sister that I have had ups and downs with through life, but we love each other to bits over 60 years later, so it made me feel all warm and fuzzy watching it.”
“It was so emotive - I liked how it took a little while to work out what was going on. I loved the flashbacks to childhood etc. We got to know all about the characters on 90 seconds!”
The negatives
Many viewers found the advert difficult to follow due to its non-linear narrative and frequent scene changes, which made it hard to understand the relationships between characters and the overall plot.
Some viewers felt it lacked the emotional impact and heartwarming qualities that they expected from the brand’s previous adverts, making it too tonally similar to other adverts. People also frequently mentioned that the advert evoked sad feelings, with some describing the music as melancholic and the overall tone as depressing.
A few people mentioned that the ad didn’t resonate with their personal experiences or the typical Christmas spirit, making it feel disconnected from their lives.
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“The sequences were difficult to follow; I found it difficult to identify the people and their roles.”
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“It’s not as heart-warming as usual, and the song wasn’t my favorite. It wasn’t as sentimental and tear-jerking as normal.”
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“I didn’t find it particularly emotive. I love John Lewis ads, but this one didn’t hit the mark with me. To me it was just a generic ad about buying stuff.”
Conclusion
Our research found that the ad should be seen as a qualified success for John Lewis, with more people expressing positive responses than negative. The move away from using a slowed-down ballad soundtrack has landed well.
The focus on real relationships did connect with people, although it might be better to tell this story in a linear way in the future. Although family relationships are complicated, the advertising narrative might be better kept simple.
Finally, I think it’s fascinating how many people seem to be yearning for a highly emotive collective moment. Can one advert a year ever truly meet that need? Perhaps John Lewis has set a bar so high over previous years that they will always disappoint some people.