John Lewis launches biggest ever Christmas product push scored by Elton John
Following on from the launch of its 2018 Christmas ad 'The Boy and the Piano' featuring Sir Elton John, John Lewis has unveiled its biggest ever product push soundtracked by its very own Rocketman.
To run alongside its big budget creative, the department store has launched eight 10-second ads in association with different brands – including Google, Nespresso, Apple, GoPro and Lego.
The move marks John Lewis' biggest foray ever into product ads and its given each ad its own unique Sir Elton soundtrack; cherry-picked to relate to the product featured.
For example, a spot for Lego's winter holiday trainset is set to the sound of This Train Don't Stop There Anymore while a Nespresso machine gets the special treatment as 'I'm Still Standing' plays in the background.
Eagle-eyed viewers will recognise that each ad is set in the lounge where Sir Elton plays piano in the hero Christmas ad.
The ads have launched across TV and video-on-demand (VOD), as well as on social media, digital display and on John Lewis' own site.
John Lewis' focus on thoughtful gifting and investment into product ads follows on for a tough year for the retailer.
With House of Fraser, Debenhams and Marks & Spencer all facing headwinds, John Lewis issued a financial warning earlier this year after its profits slumped 99%. Although it has sought to stress its partnership model and commitment to employees, it was forced to cut around 270 jobs in the UK amid the fanfare of a September rebrand.
The department store has been firm that its big budget Christmas campaign is an important investment for the brand, and a “crucial” part of its overall marketing campaign to drive sales throughout the Christmas trading period.
Previous Christmas efforts have yielded up to 20 times the ROI for John Lewis.