I just ADORE this ad for John Lewis Home Insurance created by London agency adam&eveDDB. Why? Well, let me count the ways.
Photo credit: John Lewis/YouTube
1. Music selection. SO powerful. Tiny Dancer is one of those songs you can't help but get all warm and nostalgic about. It's especially a great choice for the age of the people they are targeting. The right song choice can be everything. Make or break. It should be selected to enhance the commercial and they nailed it.
2. Beautiful simplicity. I'm not talking about all the careful, detailed, incredible work that went into this ad and calling it simple. Not at all. It took really smart, thoughtful people to put this thing together. But the outcome is just so beautiful and easy to watch. You are swept away with her earnest, yet accident-prone dancing. You smirk a little with the bits of subtle humor throughout. And then you realize it's for an insurance company and you're like, "what the what?!". NICE! The commercial ends on, "If it matters to you, it matters to us." Perfect. Well done. I'm totally on board. When I'm a parent, it'd be nice to let my daughter do her thing without worrying about my new vase shattering on the floor.
I got the message loud and clear, yet there was only one written message in the whole ad. That end line, "If it matters to you, it matters to us." The whole ad was created to tell one story. One selling point. One benefit. Simplifying your message oftentimes allows for a much more quality, compelling ad. It leaves room for you to get creative with it instead of worrying about the 50 things you want to cram in one ad.
3. It's relatable. I WAS that girl. Dancing in my room. Dancing and singing in front of the mirror. Rocking out in my car. Moving furniture around to choreograph full-on dances in the living room. And I know I'm not the only one. We've been that girl, know that girl, or are parenting that girl. And you can imagine many similar scenarios, whether girl or boy, of kids being kids. Rough-housing. Playing. The last thing you want to do is spoil their fun because you are worried about the houseplants. I enjoy interior designing and like things to look nice but I don't believe in houses acting like museums. They are meant to be lived in, where memories are made.
The first time an insurance company ad ever caught my eye was Progressive's Mayhem commercials. Normally, insurance ads aren't something you're going to watch 20 times in a row. But this ad, I did do so. I will continue to do so. Rock on, adam&eveDBB for your amazing work and for selling this concept through. Rock on, John Lewis for taking a chance and letting the ad agency do what they do best—make your brand memorable. I won't be able to forget you, all the way from here in the United States.
Folks, if you haven't seen the ad, watch it here. I dare you to try not to fall in love with it!