Sunday, 23 October 2016

What Marks Your Official Countdown to Christmas?


What is it that officially marks the start of the festive period for you? Could it be the first Christmas song you hear on the radio, the first frost or perhaps your first bite into a deliciously warm mince pie.

I asked my friends and family this question and the majority answered with the first viewing of the John Lewis Advert (Oh and the Coca Cola advert was mentioned a number of times!)!

Since 2007 John Lewis have been creating heart-warming adverts to hone in a festive message to the world. Each year the nation are nervously anticipating what the new advert will bring – will it be even more Christmassy, more creative, or generally bring even more tears to your eyes!

It may only be October but there is already rumors circulating of what this years advert will bring! And if we are honest, there is not much time to wait with last year’s ‘Man on the Moon’ advert airing on the 6th November which actually means it is officially only 2 weeks until the countdown to Christmas can begin!! (well for me anyway!)

I therefore decided to put together an overview of the past 9 years of John Lewis Christmas adverts to get your festive juices flowing!


2015 – The Man on the Moon

"Show someone they're loved this Christmas"

Set to the Oasis track ‘Half the World Away’ and covered by the Norwegian artist Aurora. The advert portrays a young girl who discovers a man on the moon with her telescope. She observes him carrying out his daily life and sets about sending him a message to know that he is not alone. The campaign was also in partnership with Age UK.


2014 – Monty the Penguin

"Give someone the Christmas they've been wishing for"

Featuring Tom Odell’s cover to John Lennon’s ‘Real love’. The 2014 advert follows a penguin called Monty who dreams on finding love at Christmas. The twist in the story is that Monty turns out to be the boy’s stuffed penguin and on Christmas morning finds a lovely female penguin just for Monty!!



2013 – The Bear and the Hare

'Give Someone A Christmas They Won't Forget'

Set to a cover of "Somewhere Only We Know" by British singer Lily Allen, the 2013 campaign featured an array of woodland animals in a classical Disney style and setting. It tells the story of a bear hibernating before Christmas, before being persuaded to wake up by hare to see Christmas! An added bonus was the song's sales earnings were donated to proceeds Save the Children's Philippine Typhoon Appeal campaign.


2012 – The Journey

'Give a little more love this Christmas'.

Gabrielle Aplin's provides the soundtrack to the 2012 advert with a version of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood classic "The Power of Love". The audience is shown a snowman who travels over fields, a river, a mountain to obtain a perfect Christmas gift for Mrs. Snowman.


2011 – The Long Wait

'For gifts you can't wait to give'

Featuring The Smiths song "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" sung by Slow Moving Millie. We watch a young boy who is excited for Christmas and is impatiently counting down the days until Christmas Day. Eventually when Christmas Day arrived he wakes and ignores his stocking and into his parent bedrooms, waking them to give them the gift he has been so desperate to give them.


2010 – A Tribute to Givers

"If you know the person, you'll find the present"

Ellie Goulding's cover of the Elton John song "Your Song" was the soundtrack for 2010. It depicts the lengths people would go to surprise love ones with Christmas gifts. Memorably, parents trying to get a rocking horse up the stairs without the children noticing, a man trying to wrap a pair of candlesticks and finally a boy hanging a stocking on his pet dogs kennel.


2009 – Sweet Child O’Mine

'Remember how Christmas used to feel, give someone that feeling'

The 2009 advert is accompanied by a cover of the Guns N' Roses song "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Taken by Trees. Viewers watch young children opening gifts usually given to adults such as a coffee machine and a laptop. The final scene shows a girl unwrapping a camera and becoming a woman.



2008 – From Me to You

‘If you know the person, you'll find the present'.

Set to the song, ‘from me to you’ by the Beatles and sung by unknown John Lewis employees. It shows how the high street store can held you to find the perfect gift for each person. A tired guy a coffee machine, a chemistry set for a geeky teenager or a hairdryer for a shaggy dog.


2007 - Shadows

The first Christmas advert, John Lewis show a pile of gifts produced by John Lewis employees, which all together create a shadow, which depicts a woman walking her dog through the snow. There was no tag line or cover song like the subsequent adverts but has been officially voted the best out of the bunch!


I don’t know about you but I literally can’t wait to see this year’s creation to which I can officially start the countdown to Christmas!

Let me know how excited you are, if this John Lewis adverts mark your countdown to Christmas or if you have a favourite John Lewis advert from over the years?

Kate Meraki

xoxo
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