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The John Lewis advert represents everything wrong with Christmas

Yes, it’s cute. Yes, it’s a beautiful story of childhood memories and the fundamental desire for love and companionship. Yet, does the fact that an advertisement is now part and parcel of our Christmas season not scream of all that is wrong about the celebration?

For a start, the festive season is evidently too focused around our television screens. You’d think that once a year, when families normally separated by hundreds of miles come together, we might just turn the TV off for an hour. But, no, we all probably sit around watching the 134th rerun of The Grinch and the ‘unmissable’ Downtown Abbey special. When we say ‘it’s not Christmas until the Coca Cola advert is on the telly’, we’re allowing multi-national corporations to define our emotions and expectations of the Christmas season, simply by broadcasting an image into our living rooms.

John Lewis have grabbed our television culture and strangled us with it. They know they can sell us £90 stuffed penguins through our sickly tears of joy over the fact that Monty found his Mandy. Consumerism has become so intrinsic to Christmas culture that John Lewis don’t even have to directly promote their over-priced products in order to sell them. Numerous Monty products sold out within 24 hours of the advert’s release.

“When we say ‘it’s not Christmas until the Coca Cola advert is on the telly’, we’re allowing multi-national corporations to define our emotions and expectations of the Christmas season, simply by broadcasting an image into our living rooms”

Their end tagline,  ‘Give someone the Christmas they’ve been dreaming of’ is vaguely suggestive that John Lewis sell products at Christmas which are actually marginally different to the masses of products which are likely to be given away as gifts. Well, they don’t, they sell the same stuff as every other high street retailer – iPhones and lingerie.

I don’t like that advertisements can dictate when Christmas “is”, or that Christmas is televised instead of a shared family experience; That, in order to “give someone the Christmas they’ve been dreaming of”, you have to go and buy something expensive. We need to reclaim Christmas as our own experience. Don’t allow Coca Cola to tell you when to start celebrating. Keep in mind that Christmas is about making other people feel special, but don’t allow John Lewis to tell you how to do it.

Rachel Lewis

Image courtesy of John Lewis

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5 Comments on this post.
  • Elena
    14 November 2014 at 13:43
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    Surely you could just turn off the television, avoid buying over priced penguins from department stores and make everyone handmade slippers instead of pre purchasing enough bath bombs to sort your cousin’s bathing ritual for the next three years. Noone is clockwork-orange-forcing you into watching reruns of Home Alone, so as far as everyone is concerned, you could just non conform and spend Christmas up a tree talking a pine cone if you like. The line “but all the other kids were doing it”, works when you’re 7 and trying to explain to your parents why you glued your pencil case to the desk.

    Not that I’m advocating consumerism, it’s just I don’t think you need to reclaim anything from anyone here. Apparantly in the west, we all have free will until the Cilit bang commercial comes, our careers advisors tells us in year 9 maybe we should consider a career in health and beauty and cosmopolitan mentions cellulite.

    “vaguely suggestive that John Lewis sell products at Christmas which are actually marginally different to the masses of products which are likely to be given away as gifts”.
    Isn’t that pretty much the underlying theme of advertisements????. “Buy me because I’m superior to all other brands” is a pretty big selling point, otherwise why would you buy it?
    Although, to be fair, I’d love to see the running tagline of ‘we produce pretty much the same crap as all the other companies but want to increase our marketing so this is why you’ve been roped into watching 2 minutes of a woman faking an orgasm in her shower. Sorry. We also test on animals, but the woman in the shower is unaware. Buy me please. Our sales have been running low”.

  • Mary Christmas
    14 November 2014 at 19:07
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    Wasn’t Christmas meant to commemorate the birth of someone?

  • Mabel
    14 November 2014 at 20:53
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    Research isn’t your greatest asset is it? Mandy? iPhones?

  • Person
    15 November 2014 at 15:25
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    …. Jesus?

  • Anon
    17 November 2014 at 17:11
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    I don’t think anyone has ever said ‘it’s not Christmas until the Coca Cola advert is on the telly’ and genuinely meant it. Who sits at home watching tv and as soon as the advert comes on, immediately jumps up to decorate the house and start singing carols? It’s not taken literally, it’s a JOKE.
    Oh, and isn’t the message about the importance of companionship and not letting your loved ones be alone at Christmas?
    I look forward to the article complaining about the Sainsbury’s advert making war seem fun and lighthearted.

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