Each year at Christmas time, brands compete in ingenuity to imagine the most moving advertising spots. John Lewis did very well with a clip on fatherhood.
There are many Christmas traditions: christmas trees in many homes, sometimes funny gifts, extended family meals, romantic Christmas comedies, 13 desserts, grandfathers who dress up as Santa Claus, etc… And some brands also have a tradition of Christmas we love: the Christmas ad. Without necessarily being really an advertisement promoting a product, it is a very short film which illustrates the spirit of Christmas, sharing, exchange, the sense of family, love. John Lewis is a department store chain specialized in decoration, furnishing, ready-to-wear or even children. Every year at the beginning of November, the brand unveils a long-awaited video clip.
This year it is called The Beginer. The video follows a man in his mid-50s, who embarks on thelearning to skateboard, a surprising choice for a man of his age. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, he goes to the skatepark, tries tricks, and keeps falling. However, he persists, and every day goes out to train in front of his wife’s tender gaze. His relentlessness becomes clear in the final seconds of the ad. Him and his wife welcome a teenage girl into their home who has no home, and the latter practices skateboarding. He therefore wants to have something in common with her, so that she feels at ease.
What’s next after this ad
The 100% moving John Lewis Christmas ad
The title of the ad makes perfect sense. The man is a beginner in the practice of skateboarding but also in that of fatherhood, and he wants to prepare as well as possible for this new role which he takes very seriously. This moving Christmas clip also aims to convey another message: however festive and family Christmas is for the majority of people, it is not the case for everyone. And those who can afford it can also think of open their doors to those in needbecause that’s also the spirit of Christmas.