Why John Lewis looked to the past to find its Christmas spirit

Famous for its emotive Christmas advertising, John Lewis has been transforming over the past year. This change includes a refreshed leadership team and the introduction of a new agency, Saatchi & Saatchi. Together, they’ve teased the retailer’s “biggest-ever marketing campaign,” set to feature three festive commercials.

“It’s kind of a love letter to the world in flux, where there’s change and challenge everywhere,” explains the store’s customer director, Charlotte Lock, of the new positioning. “Just that communication that the things that are important, values and value, really endure.”

Endurance is central to the message. The phrase ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ has been integral to the retailer’s identity for a century, though it has occasionally caused confusion among customers. Lock notes that Saatchi & Saatchi was determined to use this phrase in a more meaningful way. It would have been easy for the agency to create its own slogan, but its commitment to maintaining the original phrase was appreciated.

The marketer adds: “The word ‘Knowingly’ could only be John Lewis. Given that we’ve had it for 100 years, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to unpack it and define what living knowingly means.” It’s about getting the public behind the word ‘Knowingly’ and understanding that it stands for “integrity.”

For John Lewis, this message begins to unfold today with the release of the first ad from the updated brand platform. Narrated by actress Samantha Morton, the spot evokes nostalgia by showcasing the various eras in which the retailer has remained a fixture on British high streets, from wartime through the swinging 60s, all the way to the present day.

Saatchi & Saatchi’s chief creative officer Franki Goodwin says that the film represents the deep knowledge that John Lewis has about itself and the customers that pass through its doors every day. To get inspiration, her team was able to visit the store’s archives in Maidenhead.

“When John Lewis first briefed us on the pitch, they did it at the Heritage Center,” says Goodwin. “Every piece of design and craft that has gone on in the organization is archived, and so it’s been incredible to delve into that and to bring some of those stories to life. John Lewis are storytellers.”

For the creative team, Goodwin explains that it was great to start with a tagline that had so much substance and make it even more relevant. She recalls this quote from the ad: “The older I get, the less I know, but the more I try to live knowingly.”

The film captures many poignant moments from the company’s history, based on this mantra. For instance, the Blitz-era scene depicts genuine events when a shop window was shattered, and John Lewis staff had to guide customers to the basement, which served as a makeshift air raid shelter.

“The windows have seen so much,” adds Lock. “Whether it’s the glowy, high fidelity, Mr Motivator-style 80s, or actually when a toaster was an innovation! Back then, people didn’t know what a toaster was. And then more recent innovations, like LED masks. It’s [the ad’s] got a lot of layers. We looked to our past to bring our brand back to life.”

Goodwin compares taking over the John Lewis Christmas ad after its 14-year association with Adam&EveDDB to “taking over a movie franchise.”

She elaborates: “Last year was about bringing something fresh and distinctive to the franchise. This year, however, is about what we always aimed to achieve together: building a brand.”

In the coming weeks, fans of the brand can expect a lot of storytelling. Lock says: “Rather than just having one ad at Christmas, we’ll introduce ‘Live Knowingly,’ and then a few weeks after, there will be chapter two, which talks about ‘Giving Knowingly,’ and there are several different films in that chapter.

“Then there will be chapter three, which hopefully won’t disappoint the nation who want a big Christmas story.”