Of all the kids who have featured in John Lewis ads, this one will be remembered most. He’s every parent’s nightmare – a mini wrecking machine. The small boy with a bent for either dramatic self-expression or unmitigated destruction depending on your viewpoint, promotes John Lewis’ updated home insurance product. The attention-grabbing creative idea comes from adam&eveDDB. But it’s not entirely original. It seems to be a less conventional version of its own Tiny Dancer commercial by the agency for John Lewis home insurance, which ran six years ago.
Now adam&eveDDB is the creator of the two most inventive, relatable and compelling home insurance commercials ever.
The new film’s striking film direction is from Tom Kuntz. The boy’s memorable performance is underscored by Stevie Nicks’ song, Edge of Seventeen, and the message is heart-warming and simple – Let Life Happen.
Claire Pointon, customer director for John Lewis, explained, “We wanted to inject joy, freedom and humour into this campaign. The story we landed on fulfills this, with the idea that when you have John Lewis’ Home Insurance with the option of accidental damage cover, you don’t need to worry anymore, you can just ‘let life happen’. The ad playfully highlights the things that could happen as Reggie dances around, freely expressing himself, from knocked vases and picture frames, to paint on the carpet and nail varnish along the banisters.”
The campaign is running on TV in the UK, supported on YouTube, streaming services, social media channels, in digital screens outside Waitrose stores.
Credits:
Agency: adam&eveDDB
Creative: Mark Shanley
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Tom Kuntz
1st Ad: Joe Carter
DOP: Daniel Landin
Managing Director: Helen Kenny
Executive Producer: Lindsay Turnham
Producer: Jacob Swan Hyam
Production Manager: Fatima Zaman
Production Assistant: Amelia Hanbury
Production Designer: Joseph Bennett
Stylist: Rebecca Du Point
Casting Director: Lesley Beastall Casting
Creative Director: Ben Cronin
VFX Lead: Tom Moreland
VFX Creative Director: Ben Cronin
Editing Company: The Whitehouse
Edit Producer: Annabel Bennett
Editor: Russell Icke
Post Production: Untold
Grade: Stefan Sonnonfield @ Company3
Post Producers: George Reid, Tom Igglesdon
Audio Post Production: Factory
Audio Engineer: Anthony Moore & Jack Hallett
Audio Producer: Mike Hill
