Nobody wants to be alone in old age, let alone at Christmas time. The new
which sees a lonely man on the moon receive a
gift from a young girl from earth has said the purpose of the ad is to
raise awareness of the elderly and the importance of being together at
Christmas through “thoughtful gift giving”. But, in an age of intense
commercialism, does the ad have mixed messages?
Dr Patrick Lonergan, lecturer in consumer culture at Nottingham Trent
University, has highlighted the old man in the ad is more alone than ever
at the close and questions if John Lewis’ heart is in the right place? Is
it perhaps possible the ad communicates corporate, materialistic,
self-interest values under the guise of charity?
For instance, the ad cost multi-millions to produce, yet it is estimated
that “hundreds of thousands” made from only three distinct products will go
to Age UK, the charity that John Lewis has said will benefit from its
Christmas sales.
Retailers have long been using advertising to bring out sentimental
emotional responses from consumers, which pull on our heart strings and
provide consumerism as the solution. Emotional branding is a term used
within marketing communication that refers to the practice of building
brands that appeal directly to a consumer’s emotional state, needs and
aspirations, of which the John Lewis Christmas adverts are a perfect
example.
Emotional branding is successful when it triggers an emotional response in
the consumer, that is, a desire for the advertised brand that cannot fully
be rationalised. Emotional brands have a significant impact when the
consumer experiences a strong and lasting attachment to the brand
comparable to a feeling of bonding, companionship or love.
At the end of the advert we see the tagline “show somebody they’re loved at
Christmas”. This of course does not mean inviting them for Christmas
dinner, but rather by giving them some sort of material gift, while still a
world away. Togetherness, thoughtfulness and charity, it would appear,
comes in the form of gift giving.
Image: John Lewis Christmas Ad