Here’s A Smashing Ad
Why is this good?
Well, I might be at the appropriate time of life, and I absolutely love the brand and company of John Lewis, so I can’t help but get a warm fuzzy feeling about this.
But that kind of reaction is rare for me, and I think it has a lot to do with the craft. The direction is perfect (as Andy Gray would say, take a bow Dougal Wilson) and the track is a thing of beauty. The casting is great and the scenarios are compelling and recognisable without feeling cliched.
The technique feels somewhat familiar (I think that one-take thingie has been done a few times, but I can’t think of specific examples right now. Thank you Mr Gin and Mrs Tonic) but I don’t really care. I think originality can be overrated, and I’d definitely rather have something excellent and mildly familiar than something shite and ragingly original.
Well done, people involved.