And while they may be a staple of our Christmas diet now – a tradition like pigs in blankets or carols – the hype surrounding festive adverts hasn’t always been such a big part of the calendar. Today’s quote from John Lewis comes a week after Asda unveiled its Christmas advert, which used classic footage from the 2003 film Elf and hot on the heels of festive clips from Tesco, Argos, Morrisons and Aldi. But with food bills rising, rising energy bills, mortgage hikes and reports of Brits cutting back ahead of the festive season, retailers are facing a tough sell this year. A theme that is ‘much bigger than Christmas’ John Lewis used his 90 seconds to shine a spotlight on an ‘often overlooked issue’ – children in care. The Beginner – a cover of Blink 182’s All the Small Things by American artist Mike Geier – shows a man struggling painfully to master skateboarding in the run-up to Christmas. Viewers are left questioning the motive behind his persistence until the final scene, when a social worker arrives with the young teenager Ellie, who has arrived at her new foster car carrying her skateboard. Kate Hardcastle, consumer expert and managing director of Insight with Passion, told Sky News: “Getting the tone of voice was very important for this year and it was probably most likely going to be about corporate social responsibility because how can you do anything else now? “But this is an incredibly sensitive issue and needs attention.” The ad was created with input from partner charities Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland. Alongside its long-term work providing apprenticeship opportunities within the John Lewis Partnership for care leavers, the retailer said it will be donating Christmas decorations, food and gifts. Ms Hardcastle said: “I would never say it has lost its stigma because the issue means so much to me and I think any awareness is important. “But I think the issue is much bigger than a Christmas advert and that’s because supporting our care system is needed 365 days a year, not just at Christmas.” The ad is almost entirely devoid of product placement aside from two brief glimpses of the retailer’s Lewis Bear toy. However, consumers can still buy some products linked to the story, such as the £30 bear, £19 Lewis Bear pyjamas, a £5 Lewis Bear bag and a Rampage Skateboard for £34.99, with 25% off sales to go to the two associated charities. The retail giant declined to disclose its advertising budget. How John Lewis changed the Christmas game In the early 2000s, ads were packed with “as many products as you could find” because “every frame costs money, so you want to show as many products as possible,” Ms Hardcastle said. This was seen with Marks and Spencer, who ruled the roost for years with their hefty product offerings. But in 2011, John Lewis changed the game with The Long Wait, a story about a young boy desperately waiting to give his mum a Christmas present. Dr Hanlon told Sky News: “John Lewis did it differently. They told a story, rather than saying ‘here are the products, please buy these’.” “It’s a classic marketing technique, it tells a story and it takes us back to the childhood idea of storytelling and it’s a comfortable place to be.” And from there began the battle for the best Christmas ad as we know it today. How to sell in a cost of living crisis However, as Christmas approaches this year, almost half (48%) of Britons said they plan to cut back on shopping – including festive activities and gifts – to save money, according to a Barclaycard report. Of these consumers, six in 10 will spend less on gifts for family and friends, 44% will cut back on festive food and drink, including turkey and mulled wine, and two-fifths will cut back on Christmas spending parties and social gatherings. Ms Hardcastle said John Lewis had made the right choice by choosing a lower-priced toy as their signature product – the £35 skateboard. He said: “This understands where people are at the moment. If they had put a £200 product in there, there would have been an immediate reaction of ‘how are people meant to afford it?’ Brands ‘played it safe’ Matt Bourn, from the Advertising Association, said: “It’s clear that advertisers and their media partners are sensitive to the mood of the nation, the importance of coming together, giving and helping people celebrate despite geopolitical issues that affect us all. .” But Dr Hanlon said most of this year’s ads “fell flat”, which showed brands “don’t want to prove they’re spending millions on an ad when people are wearing extra jumpers and not turning on the heating”. “I don’t think this year was meant to be the year for an iconic ad,” Ms Hardcastle added. But he said he understands why brands have played it safe: “If you got it wrong this year, you’d be as bad as the queue scandal. “I think everyone just wants to say, let this Christmas be kind, let this Christmas be safe. “And that’s how we ourselves feel about Christmas this year. No one tells you, they’re going to do something huge. “Everybody says we’re going to keep it simple. We’re just going to go back to basics, get the family together, with less gifts, maybe a little less food, and the ad currency matches that.”
