It’s 100 years since John Lewis’s famous Never Knowingly Undersold promise began. Saatchi & Saatchi has turned this into a statement about the retailer’s relevance today – and tomorrow. The new campaign, Tableau, highlights the integral role the brand plays in modern British life.
The campaign leads with a hero 100-second film that, shot at 100 frames per second feels like a moving piece of art, and captures the 100 years of culture that John Lewis has shaped in one riotous and non-chronological sequence. The film, directed by Kim Gehrig and set to an original cover of The Beat Goes On (Sonny & Cher, 1967) by Mike Skinner, is a quirky history of British Life ending with a striking composition inspired by the work of Pieter Bruegel, capturing the set in its entirety, just as Bruegel captured worlds in a single canvas.
The spot draws from the extensive John Lewis archives, to celebrate the products, people and cultural moments John Lewis has shaped across the century. Featuring 100 actors and 100 products, it draws directly from the magazine’s historic issues to spotlight 100 unique beauty and style moments, including the rise of men’s grooming in its 1989 New Man issue, and the early-2000s revival of the nostalgic lava lamp, as captured in a 2001 issue. Every current product featured, such as the new Dyson Air Wrap and new exclusive to John Lewis Dyson headphones, can be shopped in real time online.
The work is also woven with Easter eggs from past creative campaigns, with adverts from years gone by playing on a stack of television sets taken from different decades, including homage to the classic John Lewis partner service in the form of a nursery advisor in the 1950s. As well as honouring the past, the contemporary-style film, that steps outside of the narrative by ending with a panned-out shot of the set in full, also embeds John Lewis’ role in the future giving it enduring “cool” appeal.
The film will also run as 60-second, 30-second and 10-second edits, with the 60-second ad running in key programming across ITV, Channel 4 and Sky.
A custom social media campaign, unfolding across TikTok and Instagram, spotlights the central themes of Style, Beauty, Tech, and Home, tied together by John Lewis’ enduring message of “now then and always”. The social content highlights the evolution of products with a timeless appeal and celebrates small but defining moments of everyday British life, from the iconic make-up of the 1990s to the must-have mug for your 2025 tea ritual.
Rosie Hanley, brand director, John Lewis Partnership, stated, “It’s been 100 years since our brand promise, Never Knowingly Undersold on quality service and price, was introduced – a distinctive promise to our customers that is woven into our heritage. This campaign is a celebration of that enduring commitment. The incredible artistry and bold production of the film, featuring 100 products and a brilliant modern soundtrack from Mike Skinner, beautifully captures John Lewis’s role in the fabric of British life from car boot picnics to festivals and fetes. This is a fully integrated campaign which was made possible by working with our fearless partners to honour our past while setting the stage for the future of John Lewis.”
Franki Goodwin, chief creative officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, added, “John Lewis and the Never Knowingly Undersold promise have been a beacon of aspirational British life since 1925. As a part of the fabric of our culture we wanted to weave something wild and wonderful together that celebrated every first pram, wedding list, party dress, teacup, side table, toy and toaster that’s made the last 100 years so very ‘us’. A hugely ambitious integrated production and true collaboration with our brave and brilliant client partners.”
Credits:
Client: John Lewis
Managing Directors: Peter Ruis & Rosie Hanley
Brand Marketing Lead: Amy Tippen-Smith
Senior Marketing Campaign Manager: Emma Rule
Brand Marketing Manager: Nicole Gibson-Linnett
Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
CCO: Franki Goodwin
CPO: Jessica Ringshall
Executive Creative Director: Will John
Group Creative Director (Social): Caroline Paris
Creative Director: Brodie King
Senior Creatives: George Coyle, Sam Simmonds & Sam Oliver
Head of Planning: Emily Lewis-Keane
Planning Director: Polly Whitton
Planner: Elena Georgiou
Group Managing Partner: Alice Kassapian
Business Lead: Isaac Hickinbottom
Account Manager: James Hall
Executive Production Director: Sam Robinson
Senior Integrated Producer: Lizzie Mabbott
Integrated Producer (Social): Izzy Woods
Senior Integrated Producer (OOH): Zaneta Stapien
Production Assistant: Rita Aboderin
Head of Business Affairs: Charlotte Fisher
Business Affairs Manager: Liz Staley & Dan Mcphilimey
Media Agency: OMD Manning Gottlieb
Production Company: Somesuch
Director: Kim Gehrig
Managing Director & Executive Producer: Tash Tan
Producer: Jacob Swan Hyam
Production Manager: Fatima Zaman
DoP: Philippe Le Sourd
Production Designer: Mark Connell
Costume Designer: Ameena Kara Callender
Casting: Road Casting
Post-Production: Selected Works
VFX Creative Director & Shoot Supervisor: Francois Roisin
VFX Supervisor: Pete Hodsman
VFX Shoot Supervisor: Amber Frisenda
Executive Producer: Alex Fitzgerald
Senior VF Producer: Will Howland & Lou Cherry
Grade: Trafik
Colourist : Ricky Gausis
Colour Producer: Hugh Copeland
Editing: Trim
Editors: Tom Lindsay & Jacques Simon
Assistant: Lucy Brown
Executive Producer: Noreen Khan
Producer: Tatyana Alexandra
Sound House: 750mph
Sound Design: Sam Ashwell, Jake Ashwell
Sound Mix : Sam Ashwell
Head of Production: Olivia Ray
Music: Wake The Town
Music Supervisor: Dom Bastyra
Music: Soundtree
Music Supervision: Jay James, Colin Mcllhagga, Oak Mcmahon
Music Editor: Luke Fabia
CCO : Peter Raeburn
Senior Producer : Neil Athale
Managing Director: Jay James
Social Production Company: Somesuch
Directors: Lydia Garnett & Stephan Moni
Executive Producer: Jess Bell
Producer: Elliot Zelmanovits
DoP: Jake Hunter
Editor: Deri Watt
Post Production Company: Harbor
Sound Design: Rachel Scott
Producer: Ornela Peka
Colourist: Mara Ciorba
Producer: Abi Klimaszewska
OOH Post Production: Prodigious
