Never let it be said – well, not too often anyway – that we don’t keep you in the loop, that we don’t have our fingers on the pulse of Britain… if not the world. So, dear Foxy fans, what do you think is “on trend” and being “mass-debated” this week?
The ongoing Brighton bin collection strike, which even made it onto the News at Six? Too smelly. Richard Maddeley sparking uproar by making Chris Eubank’s grief about himself? Too childish. Boris Johnson deciding to jet off on holiday in the same week his Government’s handling of the Covid crisis was branded “one of the UK’s worst public health failures”? Too predictable.
No, peeps, it is the new John Lewis ad which is causing a big stink. And, just in case you haven’t seen it, it’s not this year’s Christmas campaign just yet (they can’t launch that because apparently they still haven’t got any festive stuff in stock).
Why it’s a new spot pushing John Lewis Home Insurance, of course, set to the soundtrack Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks.
In a nutshell, it shows a young lad prancing around his home dressed up in his mum’s clothes, heels and make-up, causing havoc and smashing the place up while his mum and sister look on.
Or, to take the official line: “The one minute TV advert, created by agency Adam & Eve DDB, shows a young boy, played by actor Reggie aged nine, dressed up in his mother’s clothes, jewellery, shoes and make-up, creating a trail of accidental damage as he gives an enthusiastic and dramatic performance throughout his home.”
John Lewis customer director Claire Pointon enthused: “The ad playfully highlights the things that could happen as Reggie dances around, freely expressing himself, from knocked vases and picture frames, to paint on the carpet and nail varnish along the bannisters.”
Others aren’t quite so impressed, with comments including “he’s a selfish little shit who’s wrecking the house and his sister’s fun”; “I hated the image of the spoilt white middle class boy, wilfully trashing shared space as his sister & mum quietly & patiently watched & waited to clear up after him. I felt sorry for the child actors”; and “A boy that trashes his house, as his ‘wet weekend’ parents sit by? Nice bit of parenting for a spoilt brat.”
But would John Lewis Home Insurance actually pay out for such wilful damage? After all, advertising is, according the ASA at least, supposed to be “legal, decent, honest and truthful”.
Well, according to a spokesman: “Our advert is a dramatic, fictional story showing our main character getting carried away and dancing to his favourite song – unaware of the unintentional consequences of his actions and does not show wilful damage.
“If customers have Accidental Damage Cover with our Home Insurance, this would cover a range of major and minor home disasters – which includes unintentional breakages caused by children in the family.”
So, there you have it, if you are bored with your home, just get your kids to smash it up, John Lewis will replace the lot. I am not too sure about a mass-debate but it is certainly a load of old wank.
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