John Lewis launches first spring TV product push as strategic review looms
John Lewis & Partners will debut its first-ever product-focused TV campaign outside the key Christmas and clearance periods as it seeks to turn its fortunes around.
John Lewis & Partners breaks a few TV firsts with spring campaign
The struggling retailer will debut some of the 200 products on offer from its spring and summer clothing range on TV for the first time on Monday evening (9 March). The push from Adam & Eve/DDB will also mark the first time John Lewis' beauty products have been heroed in its marketing.
Launching on ITV under the tagline ‘Spring: we’ll help you style it’, the cut-through idea is centered around John Lewis & Partners design credentials – with almost 60% of the items featured being own-brand.
Martin George, marketing director of John Lewis Partnership, said: “We know that our customers want to hear more from us outside of the Christmas period which is why we’ve launched our first ever Spring advertising campaign, enabling us as a business to connect with more people in the most relevant way.”
"This campaign showcases our credentials as a brand in tune with modern living and our expertise in design across our own brand products and the very best of the brands we offer across fashion, beauty and home”.
The campaign is supported by a suite of content that will play out on its online assets, in digital, outdoor and print advertising, email, social and in-store. Furthermore, it will be supported by John Lewis & Partners internal social programme, #WeArePartners, which now has 500 active Partners.
It will runs throughout the Spring season, ending 26 April.
The campaign comes as the retailer faces turbulent times, fresh off the departure of the long-serving orchestrator of its legendary advertising, customer director Craig Inglis, who left earlier this year after 12 years.
Mid 2019, the brand posted a £26m pre-tax loss and announced a C-suite restructure that would bring the marketing for both the John Lewis and Waitrose brands together under Paula Nickolds as executive director of brand.
The move saw George, previously customer director at Waitrose, become the company's most senior marketer.
Then in March 2020, it dropped the staff bonus to 2%, the lowest it has been since 1953 as operating profit dropped 23% to £123m year on year.
These results last week inspired a strategic review at the retailer, as it looks to chart its ambitious turnaround plan.