With Christmas set to be a more modest affair this year, John Lewis’s 2020 festive ad is leaning into consumers’ desire for more stripped-back Christmas messaging focused on the joy and solidarity that comes from simple acts of kindness. Celebrating the sharing of love rather than presents, we explore the insights and opportunities behind the retailer’s new holiday narrative.
Famous for bringing to life lovable characters like Edgar the Excitable Giant and Mox the Munster, John Lewis has gone in a different direction with its 2020 Christmas ad. Featuring hip-hop pigeons, a hedgehog that hopes to fly, an excitable hairdresser, and lots of sharing of love hearts, the advert is a display of collective generosity inspired by the British public’s response to the pandemic and the ‘actions of kindness’ that emerged from communities.
With a backing track by British soul singer Celeste titled ‘A Little Love’, the advert has the bells and whistles of tradition while angling around a new kind of narrative - that of giving through acts of kindness rather than presents. Keen to emphasize the move is not simply a festive gesture but rather part of a five-year purpose-led strategy from the retailer, director of customer experience for Waitrose and John Lewis, Peter Cross, noted that despite nearly pulling the plug on releasing an ad altogether this year, “we talked to our two charity partners (FareShare and Home-Start) that said the gift of awareness is beyond the gift of financial support.”
When it comes to hitting the right note this Christmas, John Lewis's wariness isn't unwarranted. With 43% of young workers and families in the UK concerned that they won't be able to spend big on Christmas in 2020, and 47% of Britons reportedly shopping earlier to spread the costs of festive spending, financial anxiety is high and set to govern much of the UK’s festive mood.
However, that doesn't mean people want to do away with Christmas altogether. Looking to embrace a different kind of festive mood, a survey by Marks and Spencers found that 55% of Britons report being most excited about sharing a meal with family and friends compared to just a quarter who are most looking forward to buying gifts. With a majority of consumers keen to embrace a less materialistic and more sentimental kind of celebration, brands would do well to take note. Already pandering to the shift in mood, Amazon’s stripped-back Christmas ad similarly reflected the desire for brands to read the room and celebrate the joy and solidarity that comes from simple gestures of goodwill.
Matilda Ruck is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8. She has a degree in politics and philosophy as well as a foundation in psychotherapy. She's passionate about exploring the interplay between creativity, psychology and culture. Outside of work, you can find her writing short stories, tending to her ginger cat Thomas O’Malley, or oscillating between yoga and karaoke practice.
