Don’t stand so close to the brief

John Lewis have done one thing right when it comes to advertising. They’ve certainly got us talking.

Like a panicky pitch meeting, everyone has an opinion on their campaigns. They’re analysed, dissected, often sympathised with – who would want to be the copywriter handed that brief – you would? Yes, I know, we all would. But, I am certain that on the day an advertising creative gets handed the John Lewis Christmas Ad brief, somewhere a dove cries. Or a fox or a penguin. Or whatever.

Always be asking, ‘so what?’

Yet this new re-brand is a classic case of the client, the planners and possibly the creative team, being too close to the brief.

The point is, I don’t feel the whole brand awareness about their partnership actually matters to the consumer. And it all feels like old news.

What the consumer now wants is the signal that John Lewis aren’t a dying brand, and that our die-hard staples of old have something new and vibrant to bring to the table. Because let’s face it, to release this in a week that has seen redundancies along with the CEO of John Lewis talking about generational retail landscape change of the like that has never been known before, well. I’m willing to bet that the whole, ‘we’re awesome’ message just rings empty for most consumers.

What I really want to know is, how are you going to solve the problem of non-shopping? Now that is a proposition. Tell me how you can cure the ailing high street of its woes, and leave Brexit out of it. Britishness is being pedalled out by brands across the land right now.

The lazy post-Brexit vote brief

Just yesterday Vauxhall’s radio ad explained what ‘fomo’ was to me and how they are a British car maker. Good news for the ageing Brexit listener. Not so interesting for the rest of us who are likely to really cringe at it. I’d also wager this is the totally wrong demographic for Vauxhall. They need to think younger. But that aside, it’s a huge job to make people pay out for a high impact spend just because it is British.

Never underestimate your customer

Same goes for JL and Waitrose. I am target market, judging by their latest Bohemian Rhapsody advert. But as their new Waitrose direct mail suggests, I am not going to be making Baked Sea Bas with a Black Garlic Parcel this weekend.

No, I will be dipping into Sainsbury’s magazine telling me how to save money on meals whilst giving me what is one of the best educational children’s editorial I have seen  – the new Lego sticker album. Now that is a brand partnership with legs, albeit plastic ones.

Actually, the Sainsbury’s store I visited was awful inside and needed a total revamp. John Lewis and Waitrose may well have cleaner looking floors, but more is needed to boost customer loyalty.

Retail brands should start with the in-store experience to drive footfall – as indeed their Oxford Street revamp aims to do – rather than spend millions on shiny ads and rebrands that are simply unbelievable for the average consumer. John Lewis would do well to put the product back into its advertising and show the quality and price points to attract our attention.

There you go partners, you can have that one for free.

Ask, are you too close to the work?

I guess it helps that I’m coming at this with fresh eyes, but any copywriter worth their salt will have probably interrogated the brief and made this suggestion already. Sometimes, clients need to listen and know when to trust the professionals.

Unfortunately, for John Lewis, like the baked sea bass, this one reeks of blinkered thinking.

Let’s hope Christmas has something more to offer…