For many Brits, November brings the initial onset of festive cheer with Christmas markets being erected across cities all over the country, bottles of mulled wine being opened and decorations being put up.
Some even use television shows such as I’m a Celebrity as a countdown to Christmas. Another way that many savour the build-up to the season is through various retailers’ Christmas ads, with department store John Lewis’ ad being one of the most anticipated.
This year’s ad, titled ‘The Boy and The Piano’ and featuring music icon Sir Elton John, dropped on 14th November. The full advert can be seen below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNbSgMEZ_Tw
However, this is not the only John Lewis Christmas advert to be released this year.
Across the water in the US, a gentleman sharing the same name as the UK retailer is bombarded with complaints, queries and even messages of thanks that are supposed to be for the retailer. This is because of his Twitter handle is @johnlewis.
Mr. Lewis has owned the handle since 2007, which is also the same year that the retailer started showcasing its Christmas adverts, but only started to notice the influx of tweets a couple of years later. This is presumably as the platform got bigger, more people started using it and, of course, when the retailer also joined the social platform. The retailer has not yet offered to buy the handle from Mr. Lewis but does send him gifts in the post.
Received a huge package from @johnlewisretail including this amazing embroidered cushion. So cool! Thank you very much! pic.twitter.com/cIMAvPol5D
— John Lewis (@johnlewis) November 15, 2016
Around this time of year, Mr. Lewis of Blacksburg, Virginia receives hundreds of tweets every day from both happy and unhappy customers, and has spent a lot of time replying to some of them telling them they have got the wrong John Lewis. The UK retailer’s handle is @JohnLewisRetail.
Mr. Lewis has now even started to reply to some of these tweets trying to help the issues presented to him, while including the retailer’s handle:
Thank you. I take great pride in my pretty baubles. @johnlewisretail https://t.co/YwxKxg1PEB
— John Lewis (@johnlewis) April 26, 2018
I'd say "you're welcome," but I think that might be the wrong answer. @johnlewisretail https://t.co/L1ZoeQJmJn
— John Lewis (@johnlewis) September 4, 2018
Did you plug it in? Just trying to help. @johnlewisretail https://t.co/q9LfSEv8ln
— John Lewis (@johnlewis) February 6, 2017
When the retailer releases its Christmas advert, Mr. Lewis always receives an influx of tweets relating to it, but this year, he has teamed up with Twitter to create his own in which he shares his story about tweeting replies to some of the misdirected tweets:
The short film is shot from his home in Blacksburg, and even pays homage to previous John Lewis (the retailer) adverts, including a telescope and Monty the penguin for viewers to spot.
The retailer even praised the advert:
Great to see the ever-patient @johnlewis finally get to star in his own Christmas ad! Loving the Monty cameo 🐧 https://t.co/HTiraLrjEJ
— John Lewis & Partners (@JohnLewisRetail) November 19, 2018
Now that there are two John Lewis adverts out this year, the countdown to Christmas is well and truly on!
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