Making brands more distinctive

You’ll have seen John Lewis’ latest Christmas offering by now I assume. If not have a gander.

Nice variation on a theme. Young boy pines for his favourite penguin shaped toy to have a little friend as he perceives his toy’s loneliness at a time when no one should be lonely. Blub. Mum and Dad oblige on Christmas morning with a new penguin toy. Boy happy, toy happy, mum and dad happy too. All is good in middle-class suburbia. Our sensitive child understands the emotional needs of others (well, his penguin toy at least) rather than being a grasping little shit. The yummy parents are attuned to his needs rather than panic buying the latest plastic gadget and the true spirit of Christmas abounds.

You really can’t fault the production values and the story-based approach is pleasing. However it is the underlying message that is most appealing and rather subtle. Rather than simply being a tear-jerker the concept is based on one of giving at Christmas to simply make others happy. A truism that many retail brands have forgotten with the advent (geddit) of black Friday and the like.

So, whilst the competition presents us with acres of TV screen real estate groaning under the weight of booze, fatty foods, party clothes and self-indulgent crapola, John Lewis positions itself as understanding the true spirit of Christmas. A powerful position to take. Remove your cynic’s hat for a moment and you just might almost believe it could be true. A bit like Santa.

Joe