John Lewis shakes up tradition with ‘Little Shop of Horrors’-like Christmas ad
Saatchi’s first holiday effort for the retailer features a Venus flytrap Christmas tree—and an original Andrea Bocelli track

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Breaking free of tradition is an apt theme for John Lewis’ 2023 Christmas ad, given that the British retailer—that most hallowed of holiday advertisers—broke free of longtime agency adam&eveDDB this year to try something new with Saatchi & Saatchi London.
The result is a strangely appealing campaign starring a Venus flytrap who wants to be a Christmas tree—and who grows, “Little Shop of Horrors”-like, to suitably mammoth proportions.
In the end, though, the creatures gets just too big for the living room. So, sadly, it’s relocated to the chilly backyard, where you might assume it would begin plotting its revenge.
Good thing no one pricks a finger, or this thing could get ravenous.
Turns out, however, that the creature, dubbed “Snapper,” isn’t a plant-agonist at all but a friend—one whose present-unwrapping and confetti-launching skills are second to none. The point being that it’s OK to upend traditions and start new ones at Christmastime.
That can be a dicey message in uncertain times, when people are perhaps more likely to cling to the sureties of the past—and criticize those who don’t. Fellow U.K. retailer M&S learned that earlier this month, when its seasonal spot—in which celebs including Hannah Waddingham threw away (and in some cases literally burned) old customs in favor of new ones—was met with some backlash. It didn’t help that some burning party hats were said to look like the Palestinian flag.
John Lewis has been careful in the press materials around the “Snapper” camapign to emphasize that old traditions can be cherished as well, even as research suggests many British families are embracing new ones.
“We are a nation that loves the traditions of Christmas—from classic traditions like pantos and putting up the tree to evolving new ones like crafting our own presents and Zoom get-togethers,” said Charlotte Lock, customer director for John Lewis. “Many of us have our own unique festive traditions, and that makes them even more special. The film celebrates themes of family and evolving traditions and shows that a ‘perfect’ Christmas is finding joy together with loved ones, whatever your traditions.”
Another break from tradition in the campaign is the music—an original track by legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli. John Lewis made a note in the press release to point out that the music is “wildly different to AI-generated predictions, which forecast that a cover of a classic ballad would feature on the soundtrack.” (It may also be a new tradition to mention AI in all holiday-ad press releases going forward.)
Sarah Jenkins, managing director of Saatchi & Saatchi had this to say about the spot: “It’s an extraordinary privilege to be working with the John Lewis Partnership, and it’s particularly magical to be launching a campaign that celebrates all of the traditions—both eternal and evolving—that make Christmas so special to the nation. The race to be the No. 1 Christmas ad brings extra festive spice and is such a brilliant embodiment of the skills and smarts of the U.K.’s incredible creative industries. We’re raising a glass to all.”
The campaign includes all manner of distribution, from TV to social to Meta AR filters to a digital advent calendar on the John Lewis app. There is also, of course, a Snapper collection of merch, which John Lewis says is it “widest ever range” of products associated with its holiday ad.
Credits
- Date
- Nov 09, 2023
- Client :
- John Lewis
- Agency :
- Saatchi & Saatchi-London
- Customer Director :
- Charlotte Lock
- Director of Marketing :
- Rosie Hanley
- Advertising Lead :
- Emma Wood
- CCO :
- Franki Goodwin
- Executive Creative Director :
- Paddy Fraser
- Senior Creative :
- Alex Kosterman
- Senior Creative :
- Avani Maan
- Executive Design Director :
- Nathan Crawford
- Character Design :
- Kris Miklos
- Design Team :
- Simon Anderton
- Design Team :
- James Crickmore
- Chief Strategy Officer :
- Richard Huntington
- Head of Strategy :
- Sam Wise
- Senior Planner :
- Polly Goodman
- Managing Director :
- Sarah Jenkins
- Managing Partner :
- Humphrey Taylor
- Business Lead :
- Rania Kouros
- Account Director :
- Jack Steer
- Chief Production Officer :
- Jessica Ringshall
- Executive Production Director :
- Sam Robinson
- Agency Producer :
- Alex Pemberton
- Production Assistant :
- Grace McDonagh
- Junior Creative :
- Iki Choi
- Junior Creative :
- Will Griffin
- Design Team :
- Natalie Alves
- Design Team :
- Jay de Silva
- Design Team :
- George Colledge
- Design Team :
- Dani Wolf
- Design Team :
- Benny Yang
- Design Team :
- James Goodwin Davies
- Junior Planner :
- Humiraa Firdaws
- Head of Data Arts :
- Ruth Bates
- Data Artist :
- Jack Buck
- Account Director :
- Julia Leibetseder
- Account Director :
- Cali Fish
- Account Manager :
- Dylan Payne
- Agency Producer :
- Stephanie Evans
- Agency Producer :
- Nayab Malik
- Agency Producer :
- Joe Revens
- Program Director :
- Lauren Pickard
- Media Buying Agency :
- OMD Manning Gottlieb
- Executive Director :
- Geraldine Ridgway
- Business Director :
- Melanie Nixon
- Client Account Director :
- Jordan Golding
- Head of Creativity :
- Tamara Cross
- Creativity Director :
- Will Selwyn
- Partnerships Business Director :
- Maddie Taylor Wilson
- Partnerships Account Director :
- Chloe Jukes
- Partnerships Senior Executive :
- Daniel Morris
- Investment Director :
- Gabriella Michalski-Turner
- Programmatic Business Director :
- Charles Pullen
- Performance Group Director :
- Phaedra Poulimenou
- Client Account Director :
- Tabitha Millar
- Client Account Manager :
- Elizabeth Rutherwood
- Client Account Executive :
- Margarida Amaro
- Client Account Assistant :
- Ruby Edwards-Probert
- Head of Digital :
- Danielle Matthee
- Digital Account Manager :
- Adam Kerbouci
- Production Company :
- Riff Raff
- Director :
- Megaforce
- Producer :
- Richard Weager
- Producer :
- Tracey Cooper
- Executive Producer :
- Matthew Fone
- Production Manager :
- Savvas Stavrou
- Production Assistant :
- Rosa Galvin
- Production Assistant :
- Maddy Smith
- DOP :
- Matias Boucard
- 1st AD :
- Chris Kelly
- Production Designer :
- Marco Puig
- Post-Production Company :
- Electric Theatre Collective
- Colorist :
- Luke Morrison
- Creative Director :
- Dean Robinson
- VFX Supervisor :
- Alex Gabucci
- CG Supervisor :
- Dorianne Fibleuil
- Executive Producer :
- Magda Krimitsou
- Production Coordinator :
- Ryley King
- 2D Compositing :
- Alex Kulikov
- 2D Compositing :
- Taran Spear
- 2D Compositing :
- Adam Woolrich
- 2D Compositing :
- Tijan Holder
- 2D Compositing :
- Victoria Pascual
- Animation Supervisor :
- Andras Ormos
- Animation :
- Fabrice Fiteni
- Animation :
- Han Park
- Animation :
- Gererd Murphy
- Animation :
- Fred Austin
- Lighting/Look Dev :
- Jordan Dunstall
- Lighting/Look Dev :
- Wesley Roblett
- Lighting/Look Dev :
- Aidan Callaghan
- Lighting/Look Dev :
- Lennart Vulto
- FX :
- Dan Yargici
- FX :
- Sergio Morales Paz
- FX :
- Alberto Scotti
- FX :
- Nick de Leeuw
- Asset Build :
- Bibin Panackal
- Asset Build :
- Zhane Nathan-Grant
- Asset Build :
- Poul Resen Steenstrup
- Asset Build :
- Joseph Dowling
- Asset Build :
- Holland Crouch
- Asset Build :
- Parker Britt
- Asset Build :
- Tom Harrison
- Asset Build :
- Mara Pawlowska
- Rigging :
- Nikolai Maderthoner
- Rigging :
- Clementine Lecluse
- Rigging :
- Jashua Fernandez
- Rigging :
- Jo Allington
- Concept :
- Emily Shilling
- Editing Company :
- Final Cut
- Editor :
- Joe Guest
- Assistant Editor :
- Matt Gabzdyl
- Executive Producer :
- Michelle Corney
- Sound House :
- 750mph
- Sound Engineer :
- Sam Ashwell
- Sound Engineer :
- Jake Ashwell
- Head of Production :
- Olivia Ray
- Music :
- Wake The Town
- Music Supervisor :
- Dom Bastyra
- Music Writer & Producer :
- Le Feste Antonucci
- Performed by :
- Andrea Bocelli
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