John Lewis: Making the nation cry...and buy

In mid-2009 John Lewis, the UK department store retail chain, was struggling in a challenging financial climate.

John Lewis: Making the nation cry...and buy

Principal authors: David Golding, Adam & Eve; Helen Weavers, Real World Planning; Paul Knight, MG OMDContributing authors: Sam Veitch and Lesley Turnbull, BrandScience

Introduction

Few people would dispute that in 2012 John Lewis is one of the most talked-about and admired advertisers in the UK. But it's easy to forget how recently that wasn't the case and how rapid the turnaround in the brand's communications effectiveness has been. This paper tells the story of how a bold decision to use highly emotional advertising, in a very challenging economic climate,...

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