The importance behind the 2022 John Lewis Christmas advert
By Gemma Raw
Whether, like us, you keep checking to see if the John Lewis Christmas advert has been released yet, or even if you’re not too fussed, it’s easy to recognise the importance of this year’s ad raising awareness of young people in care.
John Lewis has stepped away from its nostalgic, magical storytelling to deliver a message about the power of an ordinary person doing something quite extraordinary.
The advert shows a dad learning skateboarding tricks all day and night, icing his injuries and getting frustrated. The viewer’s perception of him having a midlife crisis is what makes the advert surprising. You only really understand his true motivation when he answers the door to a nervous foster child named Ellie, who is carrying a skateboard under her arm.
Although it would have been interesting to have seen the advert from the child’s perspective, in contrast to last year’s big-budget production featuring the crash-landing of an alien girl on Earth, this year’s advert is a nod to a cause that John Lewis cares deeply about.
As a passionate supporter of care experienced young people, the advert follows on from the retailer's £1.5m ‘Building Happier Futures’ initiative to help care experienced young people with training and employment.
John Lewis believes that “every child and young person should have a fair start in life,” and this year’s TV advert sends out a powerful message about the role that foster carers play in children’s lives.
The need for foster carers has never been greater
The intention behind the advert, Claire Pointon, Customer Director at John Lewis, tells The Guardian, is to “make you stop and think and say, ‘how can I help’.” And help is exactly what children and young people across the country need.
Today, more than 70,000 children in the UK are living with almost 56,000 foster families, but The Fostering Network estimates that a further 9,300 foster families are needed in the next 12 months alone. That’s a staggering number of foster families.
Christmas can also be an incredibly difficult time, with more children and young people needing a foster family. It’s not unusual for families to welcome a foster child on Christmas Eve.
Although we know John Lewis’ message only just touches the surface and that the reality of recruiting foster carers is far harder than it’s portrayed to be, it’s encouraging to see a big brand open the conversation.
If just one family comes forward this Christmas to open their home to a child or young person, the advert would have achieved what it set out to do. You can watch it below:
Well done John Lewis!
