JL Christmas ad

Not easy to compress a whole storyline in a couple of minutes. I'm fascinated by advertising and graphic design.

I think the boy was being very sensitive to realise that the penguin, out of its natural habitat, may feel lonely. Christmas is a time for being with family and loved ones. A true friend puts their own needs second so when boy realises penguin has no other 'special' penguin friend or family member he sorts it..via JL!

I thought the mother was worried about her son talking to a stuffed toy not harbouring inappropriate feeings!

It's a bloody ad.. carefully planned, produced and executed by bright young media and communications experts. You & I are being manipulated do not fool yourself ..why else would JL spend £7million if they did not think the ad would make them money..it is not there as a loss leader!

but they did in the end. Because the management had the last word.

I don't think there's anything sexual in penguin wanting a mate. Children are brought up with the idea of Noah's Ark and animals coming in pairs.They also manage to play mothers and fathers without there being anything sexual in it. I'd rather see a little boy whose penguin has a girlfriend than children dancing around in suggestive clothes and make up.

Not only do the John Lewis partnership share the profits but the partners do have a say in how the business is run. They were one of the last to open on Sundays and Bank Holidays because the partners didn't want to.

Just watched the M&S Christmas ad. I thought it was poor, and not up to their last years offering.

Not my money Jean because I don't shop at JL, so I don't mind how much they spend on ads.
Thanks Jingl for the link. Watched it and think it's lovely!In fact, I watched it twice.Great ad.
Listened to radio Oxford the other day who were interviewing someone from Cotswold Wildlife Park about penguins [and they were also talking about the JL ad.]He laughed and said that most people love penguins, but in fact they are very cantankerous birds, and he had been bitten numerous times by them over the years [they also bend over and squirt from their rear end at you! A fishy smelly mess.]he said that behind the scenes at the zoo, they also beat each other up a lot.The penguins, not the keepers.Even so, I would like the one on the JL ad.

This years M&S certainly doesn't match up to previous years in my opinion.

Saw the M&S one earlier - dire!

Tegan, there are no shareholders as such in the JL partnership as it's not a publicly quoted company. All employees are 'partners' and as such are entitled to a share in the profits. It's in their interests to present a friendly face to the customers.

I agree with Tegan it is an advert for a department store and no more. It is to draw our attention to that store, no more no less.

Well, the penguin obviously wants a romantic partner (I certainly have no visions of anything else! ), so won't the little boy feel a bit of a gooseberry from now on?

....I also think we're being a tad too analytical about the relationship the two penguins will have .

I thought that all of the John Lewis staff were also shareholders which is why there always seems to be a good atmosphere there.

My final comment was in reply to jingl's last post, kitty, and I take your point.

I still don't think it's a good advert, though!

I didn't see that as sex but love!

If it had wanted a little friend, fair enough (although wouldn't the boy feel a bit miffed if that was the case?).

But it only seems to be envious of couples snogging and/or holding hands.

Why do advertisers have to bring sex into everything?

Why do people have to see sex in everything!

It didn't want a "mate". It just wanted a sweetheart. Or a little friend.

Like Aldi's ad, it's clever and ends with Jools Holland. x

The teddybear shop,where I live, has several penguins in the window display. How fortuitous.

I prefer the Waitrose one to the JL one, but don't tell the members of my family who are partners!

I don't much care for the idea that a child's toy would want a 'mate' either.

It's not a patch on previous JL Christmas ads, IMO.

John Lennon's version of the song is so much better, although the original draft was about giving children lots of toys and no time, the lyrics were changed by the rest of the Beatles and this is the one used on the advert, but by someone who can't sing.

Why would a little boy want his penguin friend have another friend, then he won't play with him but go off with his new friend, although it does look like a mate for him which is a bit disturbing for a childrens advert. I love penguins and will be buying one from the sanctuary which Paul O'Grady visited in his series over the summer. They sell soft toys. Then the sanctuary benefits too and not a multi billion organisation, John Lewis.

Considering the pretty good bonuses Jl and Waitrose have had recently I don't think the Christmas ads will be knocking much of a hole in the profits.

Oh that won't work. We will be up there soon, to get the Christmas decs down.