Thanks to this creative short film, the John Lewis Christmas campaign offering became a highly anticipated annual event.

In the short animation, all the animals are looking forward to Christmas day, apart from the bear, who hibernates as soon as Autumn turns to Winter. The hare gifts the bear an alarm clock so that he can wake up and enjoy Christmas too.

What’s so good about it?

Christmas adverts can be tiresome with every brand trying to push their products, but John Lewis used visual storytelling to advertise in a subtle way.

Audiences love great storytelling. This short film was beautifully crafted, has a tight storyline and is enjoyable to watch in its own right.

The focus of the story isn’t on pushing John Lewis’ products but on exploring the theme of friendship. Unlike other story-based adverts that flash product after product, this doesn’t show any and doesn’t come across as if it was made only to boost sales. If not for the John Lewis logo at the very end, we wouldn’t be able to tell that it was an advert.

Interested in hearing more about visual storytelling in marketing? Check out a recent podcast interview with our CEO, Guy Woodcock, and PR director, Dean Enon: http://bit.ly/2QGpUL8