Those John Lewis fuckers have gone and done it again…
Here’s the new Christmas ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqWig2WARb0
Damn…
I really don’t want to like a cartoon advert about a bear and a hare, or Lily Allen singing a Keane song, or an utterly transparent attempt to wring moisture from my eyeballs.
But fuck it – like the title of the post says, they’ve done it again.
And it’s so hard to pull this kind of thing off: to continue an already well-loved series of ads; to get the right tone that will annoy 17 hipsters in Shoreditch but gently massage the hearts of the other 59,999,983 of us; to make me remember what I used to love about Lily Allen in 2008 and Keane in 2005 (always had a soft spot for Somewhere Only We Know. Fuck you if you don’t; you can like three Keane songs and the entire oeuvre of Led Zeppelin); to use just the right kind of animation that blends old fashioned Disney basics with deft insertions of realism; and to pull off a smart, unusual plot with a proper good twist.
Yes, I know what some of you are thinking: Ben, you’re talking soft shite.
Well, unfortunately for those of you who think that, it also undeniably ticks the boxes of originality, standout and quality craft.
Stick that up your Christmas chimney.
Oh and thanks for this, Louise of Twitter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jORyfjHx5iY&feature=youtu.be
I’m eagerly awaiting the eventual YouTube re-edit of this ad, ending on General Woundwort’s bloody rampage.
it done made my eyes rain.
Not going to say anything other than I totally agree.
Arguably the best of the bunch in my book.
You’ll cry even more in the extended edit when you see the bear is dead thanks to being woken up 2 months early.
It’s sweet though, nice story well told. Beautiful animation.
Not Keane on the song though. I prefer it when the cover differs from the original a bit more.
All in all, nice job. 8/10
7 million pounds and 2 minutes long.
Granted, it’s well crafted but it’s overindulgent.
I had a funny feeling the bear will like Xmas 20 seconds in.
Predictable and again, “let’s get a schmaltzy song and re-record it”.
This is creativity, is it?
It’s a good ad ho question about it, just not the league of some of the previous JL ads.
shame about title at start “there once was an animal who never saw christmas” – clunky way of spelling it out for the hard of thinking ie. not their target market.
otherwise, sweet.
Wanted to hate this.
Really did.
Love it.
Bears create buttplugs so that they don’t do a dirty protest in their caves whilst they hibernate. Fact.
I read this to my kid once or twice a week. Steve Smallman might deserve an inspiration credit.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Wake-Bear-Steve-Smallman/dp/1848950330
No doubt it’s a good ad though.
Any other parents seeing ‘The bear snores on’ in the John Lewis ad? Still beautifully executed but kind of takes the shine off for me.
the bear’s cock would split the rabbit in two. it is a doomed relationship.
@Paski: It definitely wasn’t £7m to production. Maybe the entire media spend + production. In that case this isn’t that unusual.
And where does indulgent end and substantial begin?
And I didn’t write comment 12, but I see its point.
I’ve rewritten this comment 5 times before posting. In each redraft I wanted to express why I don’t like this spot, but I couldn’t do without coming across like a total dick. Ultimately, I think that I don’t like it because I didn’t do it (or have the chance to do it). So yeah, I am a total dick.
Think Karma Wilson might need a credit too:
http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Stays-Christmas-Karma-Wilson/dp/1416958967
Best thing about this ad is the idea.
Walks into Ben and Emer’s office…
‘…Bears miss christmas every year because they have to hibernate.’
*Takes a bow*
Fucking hell.
I was waiting for the “been done” police.
Go fuck yourselves.
They have set themselves a very high standard and, as you say, they’ve done it again. What really pisses me off is at the crusty old age of 58, something like this can still bring a tear to my eye. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword.
Very good. Best xmas ad they’ve done.
I think I have something in my eye…
Better than the Snowmen one.
Nowhere near as good as the the one with The Smiths on it.
Would there have been a gush of praise for something like this ten years ago? Probably not.
I worry that UK advertising is a bit fucked. It makes me sad that because the standard is generally so low, stuff that’s ok gets (understandably) put on a pedestal by the majority of people (aside from Ben, who’s usually provides the absolute voice of reason).
I mean, look at this:
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2013/nov/08/christmas-tv-adverts-2013-review
Embarrassing.
Maybe I’m just a hard hearted bastard. I cried at this though. A bit.
http://enpundit.com/former-love-surprises-artist-at-her-moma-retrospective-after-decades-apart/
Have you seen the Tesco christmas ad, oh dear! That’ll be up for pitch then…
And Morrisons, ouch. Even worse.
John Lewis – so so good.
I’d love to see the 30.
great stuff. works even better after a few glasses of wine. I’d imagine.
Apparently sentimentality is big driver of sales…who knew?!
That said, the hare was obviously trying to kill the bear. Those alarm clocks are heart attack inducers.
Why does everyone think the bear is male and the hare female?
I thought the best bit was the idea.
So this saddens me.
http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/132078/John-Lewis-Denies-Copying-Childrens-Book-Bear-Stays-Up-For-Christmas-For-Annual-Advert
Morrisons xmas offering is the worst of all. Still hasn’t improved after a pitch!!! How the marketing teams let out all these shit adverts. Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, M&S… Thank god for John Lewis and the Cadbury’s xmas ad which was pretty good!
What a lovely little Christmas video. Now let me get back to peddling premium recycled bog paper for those 17 hipsters in Shoreditch.
Not as weird as the Silent Night couple featuring the hippo in PJs and duck with a northern twang but odd nonetheless.
Paucity of good creative Christmas ads this year helps this stand out a mile. Everything else largely generic and shit.
Tescno esp. Why do directors think streaking grey through a 30 yr old model’s hair fools us into thinking she’s 30 years older? I don’t know any women who have hair like that. Maybe Rogue from X Men. And someone had to draw her.
Who was the team?
Ha, THE John Lewis (not THAT John Lewis), receiving tweets of congratulations for a wonderful xmas ad. https://twitter.com/johnlewis, check out his 7,000 followers, they’re nearly all British (he lives in Virginia).
@Pass the Port, yes we saw The Bear Snores On in the advert similar art style similar story line. Nice advert though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hHdhhFpy3Y&list=PLIL1AUPkhjQzLQ_I1KvoAXWHli22RHH9v