Bestads Best TV of the Week: John Lewis’ ‘Tableau’ via Saatchi & Saatchi, London
Each week Bestads showcases standout global advertising work as reviewed by an esteemed international creative director or team. This week’s best TV ad is John Lewis ‘Tableau‘ via Saatchi & Saatchi, London.
The ad was selected by guest judge Helen Rhodes, Chief Creative Officer, Grey, London.
“This ad went all in on the 100 thing,” says Rhodes. “A 100 second ad, shot at 100 frames per second, featuring 100 actors, 100 products, and 100 moments, to celebrate 100 years of Britain’s favourite Department Store.
“I’m a sucker for a film that warrants repeat viewing and this one certainly does that. You can see the care and attention Kim Gehrig has poured into it.”
Marking 100 years since John Lewis’s famous ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ promise was introduced, Saatchi & Saatchi unveiled Tableau, celebrating the integral role the brand plays in modern British life. The campaign leads with a hero 100-second film which, shot at 100 frames per second, feels like a moving piece of art, and captures the 100 years of culture that John Lewis has shaped in one riotous and non-chronological sequence.
Directed by Kim Gehrig through Somesuch, and set to an original cover of The Beat Goes On by Mike Skinner, the film is an ode to Britain, and captures a rich tapestry of stages, settings and scenes, all built from John Lewis products from both the archive, continuity and new season.
The piece ends with a striking composition inspired by the work of Pieter Bruegel, capturing the set in its entirety, just as Bruegel captured worlds in a single canvas. The timeless celebration sets dancers from the roaring twenties alongside modern day new parents and bakers and style mavens in a raucous mash up of British life. Showing that just like its brand promise, John Lewis is as relevant to modern Britain’s today and future as it has always been.
Read Helen’s review here.