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John Lewis’s latest Christmas ad has divided viewers, with some praising its star casting and others accusing its luxurious setting of being out of touch amid the cost of living crisis.
The ad opens with glamorous grandmother Gloria, played by Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, welcoming her family into her large, well-appointed London home on Christmas Eve before going shopping with her toy dog, Pickles.
Analysts at Kantar said the ad reminded consumers of the “joy” of the festive season, but suggested that it lacked the “emotive punch” of previous campaigns.
Lynne Deason, head of creative excellence at analysts Kantar, told the Press Association: “What to get the grandkids in the age of AI?
“John Lewis taps into a classic Christmas dilemma and reminds us of the joy of giving.
“The dash of humour supplied by Pickles the Dog and the earworm track lift the ad overall, although it lacks the emotive punch of previous years.
“We know that campaigns can fall down on celebrity spots, but Kristin Scott Thomas’s star turn is well done. The branding could have been stronger so it will be interesting to see how they bring the campaign to life across socials.”
In a comment piece for The Independent, Katie Rosseinsky described the ad as “tone deaf”.
“Could we not have had some kind of concession to the fact that this festive season is going to be a real squeeze for the majority of us (even the John Lewis middle classes)? That it might not look as shiny and sparkly as Christmases gone by – and that’s OK?” Rosseinsky wrote.
“You can only imagine just how galling it will be for a struggling parent who has to watch this play out during every TV ad break from now until Christmas Eve, while attempting to do the maths on how to account for the cost of their pared-back festivities.”
Meanwhile, parenting website Mumsnet is almost united in its irritation at Gloria’s two “awful” grandchildren, who at one point are visibly disappointed at not receiving cash in their Christmas cards, with one member commenting: “It didn’t make me feel Christmassy and to be honest if they were my kids they wouldn’t be getting any presents they were so rude.”
Another wrote: “Basically the grandchildren are absolute brats, they completely disrespect their grandmother and their mother just shrugs her shoulders and blames grandma. Grandma then goes to the ends of the earth to buy s*** to make them love her. Even the fact they shake the card expecting money is shocking. Awful ad.”
A further post read: “If I were Kristin Scott Thomas I’d be wafting around my gorgeous house in a selection of tasteful scarves and telling my ungrateful brat grandchildren I’d sponsored a donkey in their names.”
However, in a comment that will surely encourage John Lewis, one Mumsnet post reads: “Kristin Scott Thomas’s skin looks lovely though, if they sell whatever she’s using in JL I’ll buy that.”
