Written by Shona Smith on Nov 14, 2019. Posted in General Interest

The Christmas countdown officially begins as John Lewis unveils 2019 ad

This year’s offering sees a fire-breathing dragon cause havoc during yuletide festivities. The John Lewis spot is much anticipated in the UK, marking the beginning of Christmas for many, but other retailers have also been busy releasing their Christmas spots in recent weeks.

Set in a fictional snow-swept village, Edgar the Excitable Dragon alienates himself from the townsfolk as he can’t help setting everything on fire – especially when excited over festive activities such as building a snowman, ice skating and unveiling the town’s Christmas tree. This year’s spot is directed by Blink director Dougal Wilson, who last took on the job in 2016 for Buster the Boxer. The VFX work for Edgar was done by London based Untold Studios. After its initial TV spot on The X Factor, ITV will continue to insert Edgar into closing credits of other shows. 

For the first time John Lewis and Waitrose partner for the spot and traditionally John Lewis spend big on their Christmas spots. According to The Drum, it pays off and on average it produces GBP8 in profit for each GBP1 spent, driving a 16% rise in sales.

Other major retailers have already unveiled their Christmas adverts. Sainsburys takes us back to a Dickensian London, charting the beginning of the brand one hundred and fifty years ago. The spot from Wieden + Kennedy was directed by Pulse Film’s Ninian Doff and a poor orphan exiled to the North Pole after stealing an orange.

Ikea has put out its first ever Christmas advert which is scored with an original track from grime artist D double E who points out everything wrong with the family home which encourages the family to replace with Ikea furnishings for the festive period. Directed by MJZ director Tom Kuntz, Mother London produced.

For the second year running, Visa’s Christmas advert features real shopkeepers, urging shoppers to visit the high street and shop with independent retailers. Gary Freedman directed the spot that sees real store owners singing along to a Queen track, Find Me Somebody to Love.

Credits:

Agency: adam&eveDDB Production Company: Blink Productions Director: Dougal Wilson Producer: Ewen Brown VFX: Untold Studios

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