“The one big problem with the John Lewis Christmas advert. This is an advert – but it doesn’t have much in it that you can buy.”

The Independent is making much of what adam&eve/DDB’s John Lewis Christmas ad, #ManOnTheMoon, isn’t.

It’s not a conventional ad. It doesn’t sell you stuff.

It’s the story of a young girl who brings Christmas to a lonely old man living on the moon.

“Despite this unconventional method of, you know, not actually trying to sell anything, analysts think John Lewis made £18 million in revenue from sales of a stuffed Monty the Penguin off the back of last year’s advert. It’s hard to imagine they will beat that with sales of glow in the dark pyjamas. Especially as they are giving some profits from Man of the Moon paraphernalia to Age UK.”

Isn’t that its strength? Sit the John Lewis ad inside a row of ads screaming at you to “buy stuff” – or even think about that – and you understand its power. Isn’t its difference its power? Isn’t that it’s selling you a company that cares about social responsibility its power? If it cares about the isolation of older people, doesn’t it perhaps also care about its customers. And doesn’t that make you want to shop there?

Rather a lot of everyday people in the UK seem to have felt the power of the ad with the tagline [read: Christmas message], Show someone they’re loved this Christmas. By mid-Friday, November 7, #ManOnTheMoon had received 42,000 mentions on social media. That’s tens of thousands more mentions than last year’s Monty the Penguin had at the same stage. Before the ad had gone to air.

The ad made its TV debut that night on Channel 4’s Gogglebox, after a week of brief teaser spots on social media, the first time the retailer has used social media in this way.

The two minutes spot is being supported by three shorter versions and will run for six weeks.

John Lewis has also partnered with Age UK in its undertaking to raise awareness of isolation among the elderly. The full campaign includes events, like dinners and workshops that help the UK’s elderly and John Lewis has ledged to donate the proceeds on sales of some of its products, like mugs and cards, to the charity.

John Lewis has also launched an augmented reality app that works on the Christmas ad’s  merchandise, which will include posters and bags. By scanning the image of the moon, consumers can unlock facts about the moon each day until Christmas day. They will also be able to play a game through the app and visit a moon and telescope pop-up at John Lewis’ flagship store.

• The spot was written by Miles Carter and art directed by Sophie Knox at adam&eve/DDB.
• It was directed by Kim Gehrig who also shot This Girl Can for Sport England. It was produced by Somesuch.
• Manning Gottlieb OMD handled the media.
• The soundtrack is a cover of Oasis’ Half The World Away by 19 year old Norwegian singer, Aurora.