The 2024 Christmas ad from John Lewis department stores has arrived. This year’s much anticipated TV commercial, continuing the Xmas tradition of John Lewis, is the two-minute “The Gifting Hour” created by Saatchi & Saatchi UK and directed by Francois Rousselet via production house Riff Raff.
In the ad, the heroine, Sally, has left it a little late to find the right gift for her sister this year and races into a John Lewis store at closing time. Falling through a rack of dresses, she enters a fantastical world. We first see her stumbling out of the wardrobe in the attic of her childhood home and from here we are taken on a whimsical journey through her memories as she searches for the ultimate present, against the clock.
Returning to the store and back to reality she has found the perfect gift, ready and wrapped. Sally then heads outside and has a special moment with her sister who will be the gift’s recipient. As they walk away we see her sister reflected in the John Lewis window as the child from her memories.
Credits
Client John Lewis Agency Saatchi & Saatchi UK Franki Goodwin, chief creative officer; Richard Huntington, chief strategy officer; Jessica Ringshall, chief production officer; Eoin Mclaughlin, executive creative director; Ali Dickinson, creative director; Mia Silverman, associate creative director; Sam Robinson, executive production director; Adam Walker, executive producer. Production Company Riff Raff Francois Rousselet, director; Jane Tredget, exec producer; Jay Lovelock, producer; Katie Keith, production manager; Nicolas Karakatsanis, DP; Alexandre Vivet, production designer; PC Williams, costume designer; Kharmel Cochrane, casting. Postproduction ETC Luke Morrison, colorist; Alex Snookes, VFX supervisor; Antonia Vlasto, exec producer; Oscar Wendt, producer. Editorial Final Cut Amanda James, editor; Nikki Porter, producer. Sound 750mph Sam Ashwell, sound design & sound mix; Jake Ashwell, Mark Hellaby, sound design; Olivia Ray, head of production. Music Wake The Town Dom Bastyra, music supervisor.
Director Marc André Debruyne--who’s handled by production house Open Swim for U.S. representation--brings Coca-Cola’s legacy of celebrating holiday traditions to life in this campaign spotlighting Filipino Balikbayan boxes. The spot--out of Toronto agencies Taxi and VML--features Tita Rosita, owner of the oldest Filipino-Canadian grocery store in Toronto, whose much-adored shop was wrapped like a massive Coca-Cola-themed Balikbayan box as she prepared hundreds of boxes for customers to send their loved ones, with Coca-Cola paying for the boxes and the cost of shipping them to the Philippines. The spot is a testament to the brand’s prevailing facilitation of cultural and generational connectivity, especially during the holiday season.
The collaborative project--produced by Toronto production company MOWAD--was particularly special for Debruyne, who’s Filipino, because of the large presence of Filipino crew members on set. “It’s a totally surreal feeling when a work project crosses over into your personal life. It’s not too often that happens,” shares Debruyne. “The number of Balikbayan boxes I’ve sent home since I was a child, being surrounded by so many Filipinos on set – both crew and cast, and even being served pancit by Tita Rosita for lunch (and getting yelled at after because I didn’t have seconds) brought back so many wonderful memories of my mom. It was such a fun vibe on set. This wasn’t even a job, it was truly something special.”
