John Lewis: The Brand for All Life’s Moments
If we had to pick one brand synonymous with life’s big moments, it’d have to be John Lewis.
A new home. Getting ready for a baby. Christmas.
In fact, it is around now that we all start to wonder when we might get a glimpse of this year’s Christmas ad. An emotive, yearly pull on the heartstrings - soon to be discussed, debated and reviewed in every home and across every channel on the internet. Some may even argue that the release of a new John Lewis Christmas advert is a moment big enough to rival Christmas itself. They’d have a point.
And that’s the thing with John Lewis, they’ve got the big moments down to a tee. It’s what they're about. It's what we know. It’s what we use them for. The brand we turn to for the occasions in life - like Christmas - when it’s truly worth the extra spend, for those exclusive, high quality, higher price-point items.
But the world is changing. John Lewis recognizes that, and is willing to change with it. And that’s what makes this month’s Brand Icon so powerful. To quote their Customer Director, Claire Pointon, in her recent article for The Drum…
“While our customers are still marking the big milestones such as weddings and christenings, it’s clear there are more moments they want to celebrate. Just a generation ago baby showers were barely heard of, gender reveal parties didn’t exist and nobody would have dreamed of having a divorce party - but now all these events are part of life’s rich tapestry…. As inflation rises, and the cost of living impact is felt even more keenly by more people, our sense is that this sentiment will become more important.”
She’s right. Whilst modern life presents more reasons to celebrate, the increase in the cost of living has forced customers to think more about budgets, where they can be saving, and how they can bring the joys of an out-of-home experience indoors. People will never stop celebrating, but they will be looking for ways to make the celebrations more affordable.
John Lewis wants to be a part of those celebrations. And so is born their new slogan: ‘For All Life’s Moments’. A rethink on what the company stands for, and an approach driven by a brand intune with the world and its customers. In the words of Claire, John Lewis aims to be “A place for customers to come to create more moments of joy” - both big and small (and more affordable), without sacrificing the quality they’ve come to expect.
Case in point: John Lewis’ ANYDAY range - a quality but affordable selection of products that have welcomed in excess of 1M customers. The initiatives to help customers spread Christmas costs. Not to mention the launch of their dress for hire rental service. The list could go on.
Which brings us to our own celebration. A celebration of John Lewis, and a two-part story of a brand’s astute awareness and creativity. A brand that recognizes the impact of the world’s changes on its customers, and the creative nous to adapt and pivot to accommodate them. It’s what has, and what will continue to see them thrive during turbulent times.
John Lewis’ creativity clearly doesn’t stop with the Christmas adverts. They also happen to be smart as hell. More importantly, they really do care about their customers. And that’s why they are this month’s Brand Icon.
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