It’s that time of year again, leaves are falling off the trees, gloves, old scarves and hats are being dusted off, the winter nights are drawing in and… the imminent arrival of the much loved John Lewis Christmas Ad. 

2017 marks the 10th anniversary of the retailers infamous Christmas advertising campaign, and the anticipation levels are higher than ever.

John Lewis has estimated that since 2012 it’s sales have increased more than 35% thanks to the success of it’s Christmas advertising.  Whilst interestingly, the 2014 advert was briefly the single most shared video on the planet. 

After the 2016 Ad featuring a boxer dog bouncing on a trampoline, retailers spotted a spike of 300% in searches for trampoline and searches for boxer dogs doubled overnight.  In 2014 after the ad featured a penguin, the number of Britons sponsoring penguins through the World Wildlife Fund increased 600%.

So why is the advert so effective? 

I believe that a combination of an eclectic mix between fantastic storytelling, brand values and an iconic music track are the recipe for the increasingly successful campaign. Transcending archetypes, ages and demographics, the adverts are for everyone. There is a clear concept that each advert is rekindling the romance, warmth and beautiful innocence that we associated with Christmas when we were young. 

Each year there’s a different topic, but never a product being peddled, or even mention of prices in the advert itself. In a world where advertising has become brash and at times intrusive, the simple format of the commercial is incredibly refreshing. With intelligent and absorbing narratives, the advertising campaign has a profoundly positive effect.

So what can we expect from this years advert?  As expected, the rumour mill is in overdrive and a number of different rumours stand out from the rest.

John Lewis has a lot of momentum from the last ten years, it will be interesting to see if they can maintain it, or perhaps even surpass it, we will have to wait and see.