John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners launch first ever joint Christmas TV advert, 'Excitable Edgar'
Thursday 14 November 2019
In their first ever joint Christmas campaign, John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners have come together to create an advert which tells the heartwarming story of a little girl and her friendship with an excitable young dragon.
‘Excitable Edgar’ is a two minute thirty second advert set to the iconic song ‘Can’t fight this feeling’ by REO Speedwagon and re-recorded by the band Bastille. It centres around the theme of bringing people together at Christmas time through delicious food and thoughtful gifts, which show loved ones how much you care.
The story follows a little girl, Ava, who is eagerly preparing for Christmas along with her family and friends. This includes an enthusiastic dragon called Edgar who, unable to contain his excitement for the festivities, is finding it increasingly hard to control his instinct to breathe fire.
The ad follows the pair as they attempt to join in with seasonal activities - with some unexpected consequences. Ice-skating is brought to a standstill when Edgar, in his festive excitement, accidentally melts the ice-rink. A carefully built snowman is reduced to a puddle and the annual dressing of the village Christmas tree ends in disaster once Edgar is involved.
Worried he will ruin the Christmas festivities even further, Edgar shuts himself away. But his best friend Ava dreams up the ideal way to show Edgar how much she cares about him. She presents him with the perfect gift - a delicious Christmas pudding - which ensures he plays a unique role in the spectacular village feast, lighting up Christmas in his own special way.
Martin George, Partner and Customer Director, Waitrose & Partners, said: “The magic of friendship and making our loved ones feel special, are some of the most wonderful things about this time of year. The Christmas pudding in the final scene is not just the showpiece of a spectacular feast which brings all the villagers together. It’s a reminder that a thoughtful gesture - whether that’s a delicious meal or a special gift - can mean so much.”
Craig Inglis, Partner and Customer Director, John Lewis & Partners, said: "I'm delighted our two brands have come together for this year's Christmas campaign. It started from a spark of an idea - a little dragon's excitement about Christmas - and became the story of how someone goes the extra mile for their best friend to give just the right gift. It's a funny, heart-warming story that will resonate with our customers as they seek out the perfect gifts for their loved ones this Christmas.”
Dan Smith, lead singer of alt-pop band Bastille said; “It’s so great for us to be asked to be part of this year’s John Lewis Christmas ad. As a band we’ve always had a lot of fun putting a twist on classic songs, and it’s been so good to be a part of this orchestral version of an eighties classic. We’re hoping we get an Edgar for Christmas too!”
From 6.00am on Thursday 14 November, Partners at both John Lewis and Waitrose will be the first to share the advert on their social media channels using the hashtag #WeArePartners and #ExcitableEdgar. It will then be launched on both brands’ social media channels and on Johnlewis.com and Waitrose.com at 7.00am the same morning.
The ad will first air on television during ITV’s The X Factor: Celebrity on Saturday 16 November.
For stills of the ad, please click here
For cutouts of merchandise, please click here
NOTES TO EDITORS
The story of Excitable Edgar has been created by advertising agency adam&eveDDB and was directed by award-winning Dougal Wilson, with media planning and buying by Manning Gottlieb OMD.
The campaign will also be shown in cinemas, television advert breaks, video on demand platforms and catch up services. In a media and industry first, a set of bespoke Edgar Animations have been created to appear throughout December, within ITV editorial and programme announcements, showing him getting excited about some of the biggest Christmas TV moments in 2019. This will be supported with other activity across social media and John Lewis Partnership websites. A behind the scenes film will also appear on the ITV Hub.
The campaign will also include include individually branded TV product adverts, which will feature throughout November and December.
List of products available:
Customers will be able to enjoy the story of Edgar with a selection of Edgar themed products in both Waitrose & Partners and John Lewis & Partners shops this Christmas.
- Cuddly Edgar toy £15 available from both retailers
- Excitable Edgar Story Book £9.99 available from both retailers
- Waitrose & Partners No.1 12 Months Matured Christmas Pudding 400g £8 available from both retailers (John Lewis in shops only)
- Edgar character children’s pyjamas £17 - £19 sizes available from John Lewis & Partners
- Edgar character children’s wellington boots £16 - £19 available from John Lewis & Partners
- Edgar character children’s slippers £16 - £19 available from John Lewis & Partners
- Edgar Cupcake £2.50 for a pack of two available from Waitrose & Partners
- Chocolate Edgars £3.50 for a pack of four, available from Waitrose & Partners
- Edgar Gingerbread Biscuit £1.50 available from Waitrose & Partners
Other information:
- Snapchat users can give themselves an Edgar-style makeover or see him getting excited in their own world using a bespoke Face and World lens.
- A bespoke Edgar emoji will be available on Twitter until 25th December.
About the John Lewis Partnership
The John Lewis Partnership owns and operates two of Britain's best-loved retail brands - John Lewis & Partners and Waitrose & Partners. Started nearly a century ago, the Partnership is now the largest employee-owned business in the UK, with 81,500 employees who are all Partners in the business and share in its profits and have a say in how the organisation is run.
Today, John Lewis & 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. Waitrose & Partners has 338 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 61 convenience branches, and another 27 shops at Welcome Break locations, along with its omnichannel business including online grocery service, Waitrose.com, and specialist online shops - Waitrosecellar.com for wine and gifts and Waitroseflorist.com for plants and flowers.
John Lewis is focused on three key areas - unique own brand and exclusive products that customers cannot buy anywhere else, exceptional Partner-centric service and experiences, and its expanding range of financial and home services that wrap around everything it sells.
Waitrose & Partners combines the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop - dedicated to offering quality food that has been responsibly sourced, combined with high standards of customer service.
News and updates from the PR team
Follow @johnlewisandpartnerspr and @WaitroseAndPartnersPR