John Lewis does it again: Never Knowingly Undersold

Did you see the new John Lewis ad that aired over the weekend? If you didn't you probably heard someone talking about it- it's been mentioned all over the usual social media channels since airing on Friday. And the response has been overwhelmingly positive- this ad has been extrremely well received, why it has even been reported to have brought a tear to the eye of many who thought they were made of sterner stuff... (No comment, sniff, sniff)

If you missed it, or simply want to watch it again (and who could blame you) here it is: Never Knowingly Undersold

The purpose of the £6m ad campaign from agency Adam and Eve, is to reposition John Lewis' famous strapline 'Never Knowingly Undersold'. The team felt that this had become perceived as simply a legalistic price promise, whereas they wanted customers to understand that its about "the total value we offer our customers, about the quality of the products we sell and the added value customers receive with the service our partners offer” (Craig Inglis, Marketing Director, JLP). John Lewis want the ad  to reinforce their commitment to provide great quality, fair prices and excellent service to its customers.

And boy does it work- on so many levels. What could have ended up as a terribly emotionally manipulative 90 seconds is so charming, funny, touching, and beautifully shot, with an inspired soundtrack and reminds us throughout that John Lewis is there for customers throughout every life stage.  But importantly- it is very believable. It's us. Past, Present, Future. John Lewis understands us. And that builds trust and loyalty immeasurably.

Well done John Lewis- consider this advert against the last trite offering from M&S with the usual Z list celebs and a French underwear model prancing around to some dodgy old tracks. This worked once. Maybe twice. But the format has been rolled out so many times now and God knows it is real tired now!!! Comparing the two brand campaigns tells you everything you need to know about both retailers.

John Lewis also had an interesting Christmas ad campaign- the 'Sweet Child O Mine' adverts in which
kids played with Christmas presents intended for adults, in order to remind us of that childlike delight you feel when you open the perfect gift on Christmas Day and reinforcing the message that John Lewis was the place to find it.
They aren't afraid of going against the grain when it comes to marketing- many other British brands were indulging in shameless 'Nostalgia Marketing' last year, in which they reminded us of how long they had been around, reminded us of how things had changed since then etc, in order to use their heritage to instil pride and loyalty in us consumers. Again- this was quite powerful the first or second time, but with Sainsburys, M&S, Hovis, and countless others all finding an anniversary to celebrate at the same time, it lost its strength quickly. John Lewis could easily have jumped aboard this bandwagon, but sensibly kept quiet, letting the message speak for itself, with inventive ads to back it up.

Never Knowingly Undersold. We get it John Lewis- we really do.