The campaign from Saatchi & Saatchi traces historical moments from the last century through the lens of John Lewis’ role on the high street. Running at 90 seconds long, we reverse through the decades, taking in ever-changing fashion trends and serious moments such as the Second World War, when John Lewis’ Oxford Street store became a temporary war bunker and was hit during the Blitz, exactly 84 years ago today.

Actor Samantha Morton provides the voiceover, where she reflects via some homespun wisdom on the passing of time, the mystery of love, and the importance of kindness. She then finishes by introducing some brand language into the mix, musing on why we should try and “live knowingly”.

Morton is accompanied by a version of Paul Simon’s I Know What I Know from the album Graceland, which has been rerecorded by Laura Mvula. To add authenticity to the history in the ad, scenes were drawn from John Lewis Partnerships’ archives, held in Odney, Berkshire.

The spot celebrates the return of the brand’s century-old Never Knowingly Undersold price promise, which was dropped in 2022 when it was proving too challenging to keep track of rivals’ prices in the online world. The promise has now been reimagined, with the brand using AI to match the prices of 25 key competitors both on the high street and online.

The film is the first of a three-part advertising campaign from John Lewis that will run over the coming months, culminating in its much-anticipated Christmas ad.

Credits:
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
CCO: Franki Goodwin
ECD: Eoin Mclaughlin
Associate Creative Director: Mia Silverman
Creatives: Olivia Weston, Emily Downing
Design Director: Rakeem Russell
Senior Designer: Maarit Koobas
Production Company: Somesuch
Director: King She
Post: Time Based Arts
Edit: Tenthree