John Lewis and Waitrose have joined forces on their first campaign in the latest phase of a broader strategy designed to bring the brands closer together in the minds of consumers.
The two retailers are hoping to bring a bit of both their brands to tell the story of a young dragon called Edgar who keeps accidentally ruining Christmas.
Dubbed ‘The Future Partnership’, the restructure will see John Lewis’s managing director Paula Nickolds become executive director of brand, while Waitrose’s boss Rob Collins is leaving and marketing jobs are at risk.
The John Lewis Partnership says it will continue to invest “significantly” in marketing to make sure customers “appreciate and understand” its brands.
A year since John Lewis and Waitrose launched their new visual identities and first joint marketing campaign, what impact has it had on each brand and the customer experience?
In spite of a challenged high street, retailers lead YouGov BrandIndex’s brand health rankings, while Netflix takes the top spot for most improved.
Unrivalled coverage & practical advice
The parent company of John Lewis and Waitrose has finished a year of significant investment in its brand and staff with a huge hole in its pocket – weighed down by a sharp 56% decline in non-food profit.
Both John Lewis and Waitrose increased sales in the run-up to Christmas, however they say it is too early to tell what impact the festive campaigns had on both brands.
The annual study from Kantar Millward Brown reveals consumers have responded better to simple Christmas stories than blockbuster ads this year.
The eight 10-second ads will each feature a different brand with a different Elton John song that relates to the product.
Tongue-in-cheek spot from Waitrose shows a family fast-forwarding through the new John Lewis ad because they simply can’t wait to eat some festive Waitrose fare.
John Lewis made the decision to “turn left” for this year’s Christmas campaign, according to its customer boss Craig Inglis. But do marketers think that shift in creative has worked, both in terms of engagement and driving sales?
Elton John has replaced the likes of Moz the Monster and Buster the Boxer this year after John Lewis pushed its long-standing creative agency adam&eveDDB to try something new.
The 140-second ad, which tells the story of Elton John’s life after he received a piano for Christmas, marks a change in creative direction for the retailer although keeps its festive positioning focused on thoughtful giving.