How John Lewis Sleighed Christmas with a three chapter approach
John Lewis’ Brand is intrinsically linked to Christmas, however this means there is a challenge every year to make it bigger and better than the last. In 2024, we created a unique, three-chapter campaign, culminating in one of the brand’s most successful recent Christmas seasons.
Chapter one strategically relaunched the “Never Knowingly Undersold” price match promise, priming audiences for the upcoming holiday gifting season. Chapter two unfolded as a heart-warming gifting narrative, subtly reminding consumers of the emotional resonance of thoughtful presents, especially those originating from John Lewis. Chapter three revealed our highly anticipated Christmas advert, “The Gifting Hour” – an enchanting Alice-in-Wonderland-inspired journey about finding the perfect gift. This phased approach meant John Lewis was top of mind with shoppers from beginning to end of the holiday season.
To maximize the advert’s impact, we developed a comprehensive, multi-channel strategy across linear TV, BVOD, online video, cinema, and social media. This ensured maximum reach, sustained presence, and maintained John Lewis top-of-mind throughout right up until Christmas day. To connect with younger demographics, we launched the #MySonnet competition on TikTok, reinventing the purpose of the famous John Lewis soundtrack by challenging users to create their own interpretations of the advert’s iconic song. This initiative sparked a phenomenal response, generating an astounding 36 million organic views, reaching 9.5 million unique users, and inspiring over 1,000 original entries.
The campaign results speak for themselves. We reached over 99% of our core audience, creating a significant boost in brand buzz and positive sentiment. Crucially, this campaign translated into tangible business results, generating a remarkable 4.1% year-on-year sales growth* over the crucial eight-week Christmas period. John Lewis once again delivered a memorable and effective Christmas campaign, proving that when it comes to festive success, they’ve got it all wrapped up!
*pulled from March public company report.