With the latest John Lewis' Christmas ad hitting both TV and YouTube over the weekend, just how did the retailer manage to achieve such high-profile anticipation and social media comment for a seasonal campaign? This case study from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) interviews some to the people behind the previous festive campaigns to see how the department store chain managed to eclipse rivals such as Marks and Spencer and Debenhams to position itself as the premier shopping destination for Christmas in the UK.
Brand: John Lewis | Sector: Retail | Country: UK | Objective: brand awareness, consideration and purchase | Format: Video, YouTube
This film by the IPA & Thinkbox shows how these campaigns generated £1074m of incremental sales and £261m of incremental profit in just over two years:
In mid-2009 John Lewis was struggling in a very challenging financial climate. Recent advertising investment had been ineffective and a new approach was required. A bold decision to use highly emotional advertising, particularly on TV, generated a huge amount of interest in the brand which resulted in more visitors, coming more frequently who spent more money.
The campaign generated £1074m of incremental sales and £261m of incremental profit in just over two years. Thousands of partners also benefited as the profitability of John Lewis communications enhanced the annual bonus that they share.
Read the full case study here (Registration required).
Watch the latest John Lewis ad below:
