// John Lewis has released its much-anticipated Christmas advert
// The ad focuses on a soon-to-be foster dad getting ready for the arrival of his new daughter
John Lewis has opted for a back-to-basics Christmas advert that shuns away from big production and raises awareness of young people in care.
The department store’s Christmas ad focuses this year on a middle-aged man’s efforts to prepare for the arrival of a new foster daughter – Ellie.
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The dad-to-be apparently in the throes of a midlife crisis, practising skate tricks night and day to connect with his new daughter-to-be.
It was put together with specialist advice from Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland and is intended to raise awareness of those living in and leaving care over Christmas.
The campaign, which launched to John Lewis loyalty cardholders at 6am on Thursday, two hours before it hit wider social media. It screens during the ad break of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity this evening.
A quarter of the value of sales of a special toy bear and other products, including the skateboard shown in the ad, will go to charities Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland.
John Lewis customer director Claire Pointon said: “The ad was a very different story to what we have done before.”
John Lewis senior advertising manager Holly Kicul added: “We could have heavily gone for Christmas magic and fun but that didn’t feel the right thing to do this year with everything going on.
“It felt the right thing to use this platform we have to get this message [on carers] out. We wanted to have laughter but in a different way to what we do normally.”
John Lewis stores will also have “giving trees” where shoppers can pick up a bauble which enables them to donate £5 to £15 to the causes at the till.
The department store is the latest retailer to unveil its Christmas ad. Retail Gazette’s round up, which is constantly updated, features all retail’s festive Christmas adverts, from the likes of Sainsbury’s and Asda, to Marks & Spencer.
Last week John Lewis launched its Black Friday event to help shoppers spread the cost of Christmas.
The retailer will also be hiring 2,000 temporary colleagues in its shops and 4,000 staff across its distribution network to support the busy Black Friday and Christmas period.
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