Who’s winning the imitation game?
Who’s winning the imitation game? We’re still debating this year’s John Lewis Christmas ad at Studio 2br. The concept is spot on. It’s a lovely thought that the gifts we give our loved ones can have a lasting effect on their lives. Very John Lewis at Christmas. What’s vexing for some of us is the decision to use Elton John to bring it to life.
The Elton effect
It’s a surprising departure for the brand. You can see what John Lewis were thinking: famous name, very mainstream, fits our demographic and plays the piano so there’s a product angle. Elton ticks the boxes.
But celebrities can polarise opinion. Will Elton’s life story charm people in the way that Monty the penguin did, or that dog on the trampoline? Or the man on the moon (maybe not him). Will his music, and that choice of song, really appeal to younger generations?
Turning concept into reality
For us, the result is a reminder that great concepts do not always become great advertising. With all the criteria this ad had to meet, there were probably very few candidates to choose from in the end. Most contemporary artists would not have the career trajectory. It needs someone whose success is built on an instrument of some sort, musical or otherwise. That’s a rapidly diminishing field.
Christmas spirit
What’s interesting is why John Lewis decided to change its winning formula this year. The build-up to the ad’s release illustrates how competitive the Christmas advertising market has become. John Lewis led the way in promoting the brand instead of specific products. Now everyone’s doing it.
But are the likes of M&S, Sainsbury’s, Boots and others doing it as well? Arguably not. Perhaps they aren’t willing to commit the same kind of budget to their brand advertising as John Lewis, for whom Christmas has become brand-defining.
Maybe they should follow Iceland, which has caused a stir by breaking away from the imitation game with its controversial tie-up with Greenpeace. The result is not really a Christmas ad in tone or message. But it is original and it’s also a very effective piece of communication, because now we’re talking about Iceland’s brand instead of its prawn rings.
The all-year rounder
The Iceland ad could run at any time of year. It’s also found a natural habitat online. So perhaps brand managers at other retailers should let go of the seasonal blockbuster TV ad. Give it to John Lewis for Christmas. Concentrate ad spend and creative energy on the rest of the year instead, when there’s less pressure to conform and more opportunity to wow customers with great work. That’s a brand strategy that will keep on giving.