John Lewis combines stylish nostalgia with a modern price-match guarantee in a new campaign from Saatchi & Saatchi that revisits the British department store’s 100-year history and reframes its longtime brand promise, “Never Knowingly Undersold.”

King She directed the 90-second spot, which focuses on a single John Lewis window, which is dressed and redressed beginning in 1925 (when the toaster was so new, it was prominently displayed). The spot moves through World War II, when the original Oxford Street store was a temporary war bunker that was hit during the Blitz.

After stops in the ’60s and ’80s, the ad arrives in the present day, showing off high-tech LED anti-aging face masks. Throughout the spot, a woman’s voice meditates on her past and the country’s—debating what she’s learned about life, and what she hasn’t—as Laura Mvula’s contemporary version of Paul Simon’s “I Know What I Know” plays.

Also read: John Lewis shakes up tradition with ‘Little Shop of Horrors’-like Christmas ad

Agency and director drew on the John Lewis Partnership’s archives to fashion the piece, including the outfits designed by Ed Marler. Samantha Morton provided the VO. The ad reintroduces John Lewis’ “Never Knowingly Undersold” promise, which is refreshed in a new pledge to price-match 25 key competitors on the high street and online.

“Bringing back the ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ promise and launching the ‘Live Knowingly’ platform has allowed us to delve into the rich archives of John Lewis, uncovering the deep connection this brand has shared with the nation for over a century,” said Franki Goodwin, chief creative officer at Saatchi London. “This isn't just a shop—it's been everything from a date night destination to a bomb shelter.”

“We’ve looked to our heritage to inform our refreshed value promise to customers, making it relevant for today by matching not only high street retailers but also online competitors—and we are backing it with the biggest marketing campaign in our history,” said Charlotte Lock, John Lewis customer director. “We have drawn on our archives and are literally depicting a window on Britain, showing the changing trends and events over the past century.” 

Along with the film, the campaign also includes nationwide OOH, print, social media and online video. The client said the new spot is the first in a three-part series that will culminate in its always highly anticipated Christmas ad.

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