John Lewis launches first-ever spring campaign

Department store John Lewis has launched its first-ever above-the-line marketing campaign to advertise its spring/summer season on TV.

The move marks a change in direction for the department store as it usually runs its TV campaigns during Christmas and clearance sale periods only.

The product-focused advertising campaign, named ‘Spring: we’ll help you style it’ focuses on the “very best of the department store’s offering” covering home, fashion, and for the first time in its TV campaign, beauty, with the aim of bringing to life the retailer’s “viewpoint for the season across all categories”.

The campaign highlights more than 200 products, with almost 60 percent being its own-brand, as it looks to demonstrate its own design credentials.

For fashion, the campaign heroes the latest styles from 70s retro-chic to utility and provides inspiration for customers, whether they’re looking for advice around how to update their wardrobe with new season trends or finding the latest “must have” shoes or handbag to finish their look.

While in home, the new season will feature a third more in-house designed product, with a focus on colour, texture and small flourishes which inspire customers to update their space in a more affordable way, and beauty lovers will get fresh inspiration for the season with bright palettes from new and innovative brands as well as well-loved luxury options.

John Lewis launches first product-focus TV advert outside of Christmas and clearance period

The TV advert debuted on March 9 at 9pm on ITV, and will run throughout the spring season, ending April 26, incorporating the important Mother’s Day and Easter periods.

John Lewis said the new campaign will be supported by a suite of content that will feature across all customer touchpoint channels including its e-commerce website, digital, outdoor and print advertising, email, social, in-store and windows.

The campaign will also be supported by John Lewis’ internal social programme, #WeArePartners, which now has 500 active staff members who create and share content across their own social channels.

Martin George, marketing director at John Lewis Partnership said in a statement: “We know that our customers want to hear more from us outside of the Christmas period which is why we’ve launched our first ever Spring TV-led advertising campaign, enabling us as a business to connect with more people in the most relevant way.

“This campaign showcases our credentials as a brand in tune with modern living and our expertise in design across our own brand products and the very best of the brands we offer across fashion, beauty and home.”

The new spring campaign announcement follows the company reporting a 23 percent plunge in profits from 2018/19 after a "weaker performance than expected”.

John Lewis and Partners operates 50 shops across the UK, 36 department stores, 12 John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2, as well as Johnlewis.com.

Images: courtesy of John Lewis and Partners