John Lewis has released its much-awaited Christmas 2023 advert featuring a mischievious Venus flytrap.
A young boy finds a box labelled ‘Snapper, the perfect tree’ – with the strapline ‘Let Your Traditions Grow’. He nurtures the plant from seed in the belief he is cultivating a perfect Christmas tree.
The fast-growing plant becomes a life force of its own with a playful personality and wants to join in all the fun of Christmas.
After a tear-jerking moment, where Snapper grows too big for the living room and is cast out into the cold, he is embraced back into family life and gives out presents with such exuberance that the family find a new joy in gathering around their unconventional Christmas tree.
The campaign, the first produced by John Lewis’ new ad agency Saatchi and Saatchi, shows how the unusual and unexpected, over the conventionally perfect, can lead to a joyful time together for everyone.
John Lewis customer director Charlotte Lock said: “We are a nation that loves the traditions of Christmas – from classic traditions like pantos and putting up the tree to evolving new ones like crafting our own presents and Zoom get-togethers. Many of us have our own unique festive traditions and that makes them even more special.
“The film celebrates themes of family and evolving traditions and shows that a ‘perfect’ Christmas is finding joy together with loved ones, whatever your traditions”
Opera singer Andrea Bocelli provides the soundtrack for the ad with an original song called ‘Festa”, which means celebration.
A proportion of the proceeds from the charity single will go to the department store’s charity partners to help care experienced young people and families in need.
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The ad comes with John Lewis’ biggest ever range of associated merchandise with a full Snapper collection, featuring toys, a book, baubles, pyjamas, plants and seeds, available in all John Lewis shops, online and in selected Waitrose stores.
The ad, which airs for the first time in Friday’s Gogglebox on Channel 4, is part of a bigger campaign which the department store said was its “most interactive and shoppable ever”.
Snapper will be part of the Christmas at Kew Gardens light trail and there will also be a special AR filter launched next month where Meta users can bring Snapper into their own homes.
Meanwhile, a digital advent calendar on the John Lewis app will see Snapper reward MyJL members with exclusive rewards throughout December.
The Venus flytrap will also appear on a host of out-of-home, press and John Lewis window displays.
The department store is among a throng of retailers that have released their Christmas ads over the past week.
‘King of Christmas’ Michael Bublé stars in Asda’s ad, while M&S Food has signed up Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Sainsbury’s has gone for a more tongue-in-cheek approach with 80s popstar Rick Astley making a cameo in its ad, while Graham Norton pops up in Waitrose’s campaign.
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