Best of the Decade: John Lewis' tale of a boy counting down till Christmas marked a turning point for holiday advertising
'The Long Wait' from Adam&Eve and directed by Dougal Wilson is Christmas spirit at its finest
Editor's Pick
Creativity looks back on the brand ideas and campaigns that made the last decade. See the full lineup here.
Best of the Decade
You might call John Lewis’ “The Long Wait” the U.K.’s version of Apple’s “1984” because its arrival marked the moment when Christmas advertising in the nation—and arguably the rest of the world—started to take on Super Bowl-size stakes. The holiday film from Adam&Eve and directed by Dougal Wilson debuted in 2011 and centered on a young boy eagerly counting down the days till Xmas. With an unexpectedly heartwarming twist, it set the stage for more emotional fodder, including the excellent “Monty’s Christmas,” which went on to earn double Grand Prix at Cannes (in 2014 for Film Craft and then in 2016 in Creative Effectiveness).
Original Story
Dougal Wilson returns for John Lewis' 2011 Christmas campaign with the story of a child who just can't wait for Christmas—but for reasons you may not realize. The pace of the spot recreates that childhood emotion of feeling like that day simply will never come —and the relief you feel when it finally does. The music is a reworking of The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please," and agency is Adam & Eve.
Credits
- Date
- Nov 14, 2011
- Brand :
- John Lewis
- Client :
- John Lewis
- Agency :
- Adam & Eve/DDB
- Agency Producer :
- Matt Craigie
- Creative Director :
- Ben Priest
- Creative Director :
- Emer Stamp
- Creative Director :
- Ben Tollett
- Creative :
- Matt Gay
- Creative :
- John Long
- Production Company :
- Blink
- Director :
- Dougal Wilson
- Executive Producer :
- James Bland
- Producer :
- Ben Link
- Director, Photography :
- Lasse Frank
- Production Design :
- Andy Kelly
- Costumes :
- Michelle May
- Editor :
- Joe Guest
- Editing House :
- Final Cut
- Post Production :
- Moving Picture Company
- Music :
- Major Tom
- Sound Director :
- Factory Sound
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