John Lewis is celebrating 100 years of Never Knowingly Undersold in the first installment of its three-part Christmas ad campaign.
It marks the start of the department store’s “biggest marketing campaign” after it reinstated the price promise pledge last week after deciding to scrap it two years ago.
The 90-second film, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, centres around a John Lewis store window providing a lens on the past and the future with every different display representing a different era and the top products of the time.
Set to the backdrop of Laura Mvula’s cover of Paul Simon’s I Know What I Know, the ad – narrated by Samantha Morton – shows glimpses of the fashions of the roaring 1920s and recreates 1925, when a toaster was so innovative that it took centre stage in a John Lewis shop window.
Scenes in the advert are also shown during the outbreak of World War II, when its first-ever store on London’s Oxford Street provided a temporary war bunker and was hit during the blitz – exactly 84 years ago.
Related Story
The window recreates the swinging 60s and the 80s lycra fitness craze before landing in the present day with high-tech LED anti-aging face masks.
The final scene cuts to the century old pledge – Never Knowingly Undersold – reinstated on the retailer’s shop window.
The film is the first of an advertising campaign in three chapters for the golden quarter, culminating in the debut of its famous Christmas ad.
John Lewis customer director Charlotte Lock said: “We’ve looked to our heritage to inform our refreshed value promise to customers, making it relevant for today by matching not only high street retailers but also online competitors – and we are backing it with the biggest marketing campaign in our history.
“We have drawn on our archives and are literally depicting a window on Britain, showing the changing trends and events over the past century.
“Our launch ad travels back to 1925 when we first introduced Never Knowingly Undersold, through the perspective of our Oxford Street shop window.
“The enduring value and values John Lewis represents are as important today as they were a century ago.”
Saatchi & Saatchi chief creative officer Franki Goodwin said: “Bringing back the Never Knowingly Undersold promise and launching the Live Knowingly platform has allowed us to delve into the rich archives of John Lewis, uncovering the deep connection this brand has shared with the nation for over a century.
“This isn’t just a shop – it’s been everything from a date night destination to a bomb shelter.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
