What did Adland Make of John Lewis' Christmas Ad?

Rik Moore: Head of creative strategy Havas Media

I think this will be the most shared Christmas ad of all time. Why? Because it makes you laugh, and god knows we need one at the tail-end of 2016. 

One day this juggernaut will run out of steam or mis-step, but it won’t be this year. The 2016 creative is a greatest hits of what people find cute. When it began, I thought it would go down a mawkish route, so it was a refreshing surprise when it took a comedic turn.

One week on from adam&eveDDB taking the IPA Effectiveness Awards Grand Prix, this success story shows no sign of stopping. This is the embodiment of advertising as event TV – the UK media equivalent of the Macy’s day parade in the States. What really impresses is how they continue to flex the ad through every part of the business, with teaser build-up, charity link, merchandising, Oculus Rift and Snapchat activations, and no doubt further product-led ads later in the campaign.

Also, you have to admire the chutzpah of an ad that will end up selling trampolines - predominantly an outdoor summer item – in the depth of winter.

Sean Kinmont: Founding partner/CD 23red

It’s a lovely ad complete with cute furry animals all getting along in a way that is perfectly-timed to offset the nastiness of the US elections. It’s much simpler, more traditional and a conscious shift away from the melancholy of last year. 

Although I predict it will be widely shared, I’m not sure it will be up there as the most popular Christmas ads of all time.

Uri Baruchin: Head of strategy The Partners 

It’s too soon to tell if this ad will smash all records. At this point, however, I doubt it. The number of shares is impressive but the number of actual views on YouTube is still relatively modest. It’s obvious they have tried to make it more gleeful than ads in the past, and it is. It shows a fantastic level of digital animation craft. However, somewhere along the way a story was lost. There’s no real twist to the plot and little wit to it overall, it simply progresses in a fairly predictable manner from early on. Combined with a lower emotional impact – I’m not sure what kind of momentum it will sustain. It’s very likeable, but might be less effective than past ads. The astounding amount of shares could be more down to the fact the John Lewis ad is now an event, so people want to signal they got to it first.

Rob Hunter: Managing director Hunterlodge Advertising 

Every year, we wait in anticipation for the John Lewis advert to come out, and for most people this marks the start of the Christmas season. The anticipation for the John Lewis ad was at an all-time high this year as the public confused a uni student’s project as The official John Lewis advert. To me, this not only signals the public’s love for the John Lewis Christmas advert, but shows us that we are truly and firmly planted in the mobile age. I think that it has the potential to be the most shared Christmas ad because no matter your opinion on it, we are firmly planted in a mobile first generation and this ad will be shared across various social channels – Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. 

Tony Mattson: Head of strategy Forward Media

John Lewis has a heritage of producing Christmas campaigns that bear all the hallmarks of industry best practice - highly emotive, integration beyond paid media, and, most importantly of all, commercially effective.  Fame measured by social momentum is critical to effectiveness and shares are a good metric of success.  Comparing shares of Buster the Boxer over the first 24 hours with previous campaigns suggests this could be John Lewis's most successful Christmas ever.  However,  I think Edeka's crown as the most shared Christmas ad of all time will remain safe for another year.