Storytelling advertising to promote climate neutrality: Content analysis of John Lewis’s Christmas advertisements
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15549/jeecar.v12i1.2122Keywords:
advertising, storytelling, climate change, climate neutrality, advertising, storytelling, climate change, climate neutrality, case studyAbstract
Stories are with us from the very beginning and are here to stay. As storytelling becomes increasingly important for advertising professionals, there is a need to discover how stories can be utilized most effectively. Climate neutrality is a crucial goal for many countries worldwide, but achieving this status cannot become a reality without the involvement of society. With constant changes in the environment, how people receive and react to information is constantly transforming. Now, more than ever, it is important to find a way to reach and encourage society to take the necessary steps towards climate neutrality. Advertising is a valuable tool to promote specific behaviors and actions. Content analysis of John Lewis Christmas advertisements enabled us to identify the most frequently used story elements by this brand and explore how those elements could be applied in advertisements related to climate change issues. Results show the main elements that contribute to the powerful stories that are memorable, engaging, and effective in achieving the brand's goals. The study provides recommendations for advertising professionals and highlights the need for future research.
References
Aliyev, F. (2015). Strategic Marketing Plan for The John Lewis Partnership Using Marketing Theory and Analytical Tools. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.4574.9846
Atiq, M., Abid, G., Anwar, A., & Ijaz, M. F. (2022). Influencer Marketing on Instagram: A Sequential Mediation Model of Storytelling Content and Audience Engagement via Relatability and Trust. Information, 13(7), 345. https://doi.org/10.3390/info13070345 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/info13070345
Auxtova, K., & Brennan, M. (2024). Offensive and Harmful Advertising: A Content Analysis of Official Complaints. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/10495142.2024.2345908 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10495142.2024.2345908
Baharuddin, N., & Rosli, H. (2022). Content Analysis of Visual Storytelling Elements for Social Media Education Tools. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(10). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v12-i10/15275 DOI: https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i10/15275
Bearman, M. (2019). Focus on Methodology: Eliciting Rich data: a Practical Approach to Writing semi-structured Interview Schedules. Focus on Health Professional Education: A Multi-Professional Journal, 20(3), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.11157/fohpe.v20i3.387 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11157/fohpe.v20i3.387
Belén Moreno-Albarracín. (2022). Brand Storytelling in Christmas Commercials of Large Supermarket Chains. Advances in Knowledge Acquisition, Transfer, and Management Book Series/Advances in Knowledge Acquisition, Transfer and Management Book Series, 215–234. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-4523-5.ch011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-4523-5.ch011
Beličková, P., & Kusá, A. (2023). Using Neuromarketing to Create More Effective Messages in Sustainability Advertising Campaigns. European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 18(1), 493–500. https://doi.org/10.34190/ecie.18.1.1673 DOI: https://doi.org/10.34190/ecie.18.1.1673
Briggs, F. (2024, November 15). System1: John Lewis ad the most effective this decade. Retail Times. https://retailtimes.co.uk/system1-john-lewis-ad-the-most-effective-this-decade/
Cartwright, J., McCormick, H., & Warnaby, G. (2016). Consumers’ emotional responses to the Christmas TV advertising of four retail brands. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 29, 82–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.11.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.11.001
Caston, E. (2023). How long is a good story? Compressed narratives in British screen advertising since 1955. Alphaville, 25, 69–89. https://doi.org/10.33178/alpha.25.05 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33178/alpha.25.05
Dias, P., & Cavalheiro, R. (2021). The role of storytelling in the creation of brand love: the PANDORA case. Journal of Brand Management; Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-021-00254-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-021-00254-6
Doherty, E. (2024). View of Buying into the Ideal Performance of Womanhood: Gendered Marketing in the Recontextualization of “She’s Always a Woman” for John Lewis’ Advertising Campaign. Lib.uwo.ca. https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/notabene/article/view/6611/5335
Edelman. (2025). Global Report Trust and the Crisis of Grievance. https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2025-01/2025%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer_Final.pdf
Fazeli, S., Sabetti, J., & Ferrari, M. (2023). Performing Qualitative Content Analysis of Video Data in Social Sciences and Medicine: The Visual-Verbal Video Analysis Method. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231185452 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231185452
Gustafson, A., Ballew, M. T., Goldberg, M. H., Cutler, M. J., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Personal Stories Can Shift Climate Change Beliefs and Risk Perceptions: The Mediating Role of Emotion. Communication Reports, 33(3), 121–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/08934215.2020.1799049 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08934215.2020.1799049
Hamelin, N., Thaichon, P., Abraham, C., Driver, N., Lipscombe, J., & Pillai, J. (2020). Storytelling, the scale of persuasion and retention: A neuromarketing approach. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 55, 102099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102099 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102099
Hanlon, A. (2020). Why we love John Lewis at Christmas: The psychology behind festive adverts. Www.cranfield.ac.uk. https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/masters-courses/strategic-marketing/why-we-love-john-lewis-at-christmas-the-psychology-behind-festive-adverts
Iye, R., Okuhara, T., Okada, H., Yokota, R., & Kiuchi, T. (2021). A Content Analysis of Video Advertisements for Dietary Supplements in Japan. Healthcare, 9(6), 742. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9060742 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9060742
John Lewis. (2024). Every John Lewis adverts ever aired. https://www.johnlewis.com/content/gifts/every-john-lewis-christmas-advert-ever-aired
Jones, P., & Comfort, D. (2018). Storytelling and corporate social responsibility reporting: A case study commentary on U.K. food retailers. Journal of Public Affairs, 19(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1834 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1834
Jones, P., & Comfort, D. (2019). Stories and Retailer Brands: A Study of the UK’s Leading Retailers. Indonesian Journal of Contemporary Management Research, 1(2), 65–77. https://doi.org/10.33455/ijcmr.v1i2.92
Kahlon, N. K., & Singh, W. (2024). Comparative Analysis of Web Scraping Tools for Low-Resource Language Text. International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology, 72(1), 284–299. https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/ijett-v72i1p128 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V72I1P128
Karsaklian, E. (2016). A Picture Can be Worth a Thousand Stories: Interpreting Advertising Differently in 10 Countries. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness. 10. 45-53.
Kasilingam, D., & Ajitha, S. (2022). Storytelling in advertisements: understanding the effect of humor and drama on the attitude toward brands. Journal of Brand Management, 29(4). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-021-00253-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-021-00253-7
Kennedy, A.-M., Waiguny, M. K. J., & Lockie, M. A. (2021). Children’s consumption culture development through Christmas myths: ethical implications. Young Consumers, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/yc-05-2021-1333 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-05-2021-1333
Kiefer, B. (2024, November 14). John Lewis Christmas Ad Goes in New Direction with Relatable Sister Story. Adweek.com; Adweek. https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/john-lewis-christmas-ad-goes-in-new-direction-with-relatable-sister-story/
Li, Y.; Kuo, C.-C.J. (2003). Video Content Analysis Using Multimodal Information; Springer: New York, NY, USA. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3712-7
Liu, D., & Keller, F. (2023). Detecting and Grounding Important Characters in Visual Stories. ArXiv (Cornell University). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2303.17647 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v37i11.26551
Mahajan, D. (2023). Content Analysis of Gift Advertisements. Gyan Management Journal, 17(2), 75–89. https://doi.org/10.48165/gmj.2022.17.2.8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.48165/gmj.2022.17.2.8
Martín de la Rosa, V., & Domínguez Romero, E. (2016). Humanizing Brands Through Storytelling in Magazine Advertising. Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a La Comunicación, 68(0). https://doi.org/10.5209/clac.54529 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/CLAC.54529
Meyer, M., Adkins, V., Yuan, N., Weeks, H. M., Chang, Y. J., & Radesky, J. (2019). Advertising in Young Children's Apps: A Content Analysis. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics: JDBP, 40(1), 32–39. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000000622 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000000622
Morris, B. S., Chrysochou, P., Christensen, J. D., Orquin, J. L., Barraza, J., Zak, P. J., & Mitkidis, P. (2019). Stories vs. facts: triggering emotion and action-taking on climate change. Climatic Change, 154(1-2), 19–36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-019-02425-6
Reddy, KP., Chandu, V., Srilakshmi, S., Thagaram E., Sahyaja, Ch. ir Osei, B. (2023). Consumersmple perception on green marketing towards eco-friendly fast moving consumer goods. International Journal of Engineering Business Management.;15. https://doi.org/10.1177/18479790231170962 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/18479790231170962
Rudd, J. (2023). Brand strategy and John Lewis Christmas adverts. Furthermore Marketing. https://furthermoremarketing.co.uk/brand-strategy-and-john-lewis-christmas-adverts/
Sandhu, N. (2023). Content Analysis as a Tool for Advertising Research. In SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks. SAGE Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529667509 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529667509
Seifert, C., & Chattaraman, V. (2020). A picture is worth a thousand words! How visual storytelling transforms the aesthetic experience of novel designs. Journal of Product & Brand Management, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/jpbm-01-2019-2194 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-01-2019-2194
Steel, D., Phillips, C., Giang, A., & Mintz-Woo, K. (2024). A forward-looking approach to climate change and the risk of societal collapse. Futures, 158, 103361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2024.103361 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2024.103361
Wang, G., Zhuo, L., Li, J., Ren, D., & Zhang, J. (2018). An efficient method of content-targeted online video advertising. Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation, 50, 40–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvcir.2017.11.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvcir.2017.11.001
Wang, H., & Coren, E. (2024). Storytelling as a Catalyst for Climate Change Communication and Empowerment. Springer EBooks, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54790-4_1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54790-4_1
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Laura Laurynaityte, Aušra Pažėraitė
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The JEECAR journal allows the author(s) to hold the copyright and publishing rights of their own manuscript without restrictions.
This journal applies the Creative Attribution Common License to works we publish, and allows reuse and remixing of its content, in accordance with a CC-BY 4.0 license.
Authors are free to: Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Under the following terms: Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
No additional restrictions — The author may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
The JEECAR Journal is committed to the editorial principles of all aspects of publication ethics and publication malpractice as assigned by the Committee on Public Ethics.
